Sport-Specific Articles

Sport-Specific Articles
coach communication

Coach Communication Done Well

Communication between officials and coaches is extremely important and is an essential element of a properly officiated game. Most coaches identify good communication as...

Stay Home in Primary

Supervisors want officials to master the fundamentals, creating good habits and developing a consistency to their game — characteristics shared among the elite in...

4 Habits Softball Umpires Must Have

If you took a poll of coaches and players and asked them to name the skills and habits that are important for an umpire...

Timing Is Everything

“Timing is everything!” That expression is cemented when it comes to baseball umpiring. You can read rulebooks, study mechanics, go to camps and clinics...

You Say It Best When You Say Nothing At All

I’ve always felt the following are some of the greatest sayings relating to speaking: “You can’t be misquoted for something when you say nothing.”...

Don’t Talk To My Kids!

"Don't Talk To My Kids!" Ever heard that shouted from the sideline? Coaches don’t want officials coaching their players. They do want officials to help their...

A Mathematical Dive Into the Strike Zone

The softball strike zone has not changed for a long time; it is still the zone explicitly described in the rules for each softball code. There are slight...

Four Tips for One-Umpire Mechanics

It’s not news that budgets for athletic programs, especially in recreation and intramural leagues, have had to be tightened. Often the first items trimmed...

Understand Elevator Screens

O ne of the great things about basketball is that although there are many constants to the way the game is played, there are...

What Coaches and Referees Actually Agree On

In any game, coaches and referees usually agree on several things:   The time of the game The location of the game The teams playing...

A Breakdown of Running Lane Rules

In the top of the seventh inning in Game 6 of the World Series on Oct. 29, 2019, the Washington Nationals had Yan Gomes...

Team Control Is A Moving Target

When the basketball is loose, and opponents are fighting to gain control, officials are taxed to determine team control. The difficulty often comes from the unexpected — abnormalities...

The Importance Of Halftime Discussions

Imagine that the buzzer to end the first half has just sounded. The game is going to be a real barn burner. The teams are tied...

Bunt, Slap and Checked-Swing Quandaries 

The photo above provides an interesting conundrum for umpires. While it is just a snapshot, it leads to some intriguing questions and forces us to get into the...

Have Patience Considering Continuous Motion

“Two shots,” or “Going up!” Terms that are not used often enough. What many hear more often is, “No, on the floor!” Ask yourself what...

Ballhandling Makes Your Crew Look Sharp

It was the championship game for the local semi-pro league with a crew of six officials. A pass was intercepted and the down ended...

Eight Habits to Improve Your Play Positioning

Does your association have “good umpires”? Certainly it does. But are there a few umpires acknowledged to be better than the rest of the...

Keep-It-Flying Approach Is Challenging

One of the biggest areas of concern during a match for coaches and referees is ballhandling. Ballhandling decisions can make or break a match. In recent years, volleyball...

The 5 D’s Of Football Success

Here's a list of qualities starting with D from Steve Shaw, CFO National Coordinator of Football Officials, that, if employed, can help any official...

Tips to Help Sideline Officials Look Sharp

When I was a deep official, I would catch flak from my linesman and line judge crewmates. They told me they do most of...

When To Stop A Game

When to stop a game because of darkness or weather are among the toughest calls of an umpire's career. Next to those, you might think...

Flopping for Fouls has Repercussions

The NBA continues to have a real problem with “flopping.” League officials recently levied some fines and penalties for “faking being fouled,” and the rampant problem...

Tips for When You Struggle on the Bases

What do you do when you’re struggling on the bases? We’re all going to have bang-bang plays where we do everything right but freeze-frame...

6 Types of Interference

1. Playing Through the Back A defender cannot come over a receiver’s back to try to play a pass. Be careful not to penalize a...