Sport-Specific Articles
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The Eight-Minute Pregame
Arriving to the three-umpire system at various upper levels is the culmination of hard work, preparation and demonstration of the knowledge and skills necessary...
Collision Decision
Collisions on the basepaths are not a routine occurrence in fast-pitch softball, so it is important for umpires to prepare for scenarios that can...
Timing and Tact Crucial to Constructive Feedback
One of the best parts about belonging to the cadre of volleyball officials is the chance to be around others who love the game...
Offside Doesn’t have to be Complicated
Many spectators, most radio/TV commentators, a surprisingly large proportion of coaches and many players simply do not understand Law 11 (Offside). When they think...
Prep for Bang-Bang Plays
Crashes should not catch basketball officials by surprise. That’s a mantra from Jon Levinson, NCAA women’s basketball secretary-rules editor, and assigner for the Patriot...
Manage Dead Time for the Right Pace
Baseball is played without a clock, but increasing game times are very much on the minds of many involved with overseeing the game, particularly...
Optimal Positioning at Home Plate
The evolution of the mechanics of calling plays at home plate has been fascinating to observe.
Plate umpires can make decisions on 250 to 300...
Head Fakes = Head Games
As the game of basketball continues to evolve into a free-flowing contest, we are seeing an increase in one-on-one matchups. Teams are spreading the...
Handling Dissent
A few years ago, U.S. Soccer made available to all referees a very small clip titled, “Ask, Tell, Dismiss.” Michael Kennedy, former FIFA referee,...
Supplemental Signals
On a force play when the ball initially beat the runner, but the fielder had leaped or pulled his foot off the base to...
