Sport-Specific Articles

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Infield Fly Factors

An infield fly situation includes many variables for umpires to take into consideration. The wind or sun affects the calling of the infield fly....

Second Nature

The first thing most of us do in the morning is look at our alarm clock, watch or phone. When we look at our...

Listen Up to Go Up

“Keep your mouth shut and listen.” Although it sounds harsh, it might be one of the most important pieces of advice an aspiring umpire can...

Big Match Support

Your assigner calls — you got the championship match. Your mentor calls — you just got picked for State Cup. The State Referee Administrator...

Libero Dos and Don’ts

A libero (LEE’-beh-ro) in indoor volleyball is a back-row defensive specialist. Since they only play in the back row, those players are often shorter...

Let’s Meet Up

There are times in a game when officials should get together as a crew. There are times when officials shouldn’t get together. During warmups is...

It’s in the Bag

Is your softball bag or automobile trunk of gear packed for the season ahead? If so, are items easy to locate? It can be...

Batboys

Where are all the batboys? What happened to them? And when did they disappear? In this context, I’m referring to the little kids (usually but...

Scrimmages: Opportunity or Danger?

By John Kiernan Frequently I am asked to officiate scrimmages. There are great opportunities for an official during those matches. However, there are also pitfalls...