Stories We're Most Proud Of
Home Stories We're Most Proud Of
After 40 years, Referee has covered some of the most well known and least-known but extremely important topics and events in the history of officiating. We’ve selected those we feel are the most notable. Here are the actual spreads from those stories as they were originally printed.
Louisiana Lockup (December 2014)
The outrageous treatment of two Louisiana high school football officials proved one of the most compelling stories in our 40-year history. James Radcliffe and...
The 18 Best Calls in Officiating History (March 2007)
While 24-hour sports television networks replay perceived missed calls ad nauseum, no one had ever attempted to compile a list of officials’ best work....
In the Fraternity (March 1998)
Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner made history when they were hired to the NBA staff. The story of how they broke the gender barrier...
Locked Out (January 2013)
One of the most bitter labor actions in sports history occurred when the NFL locked out its officials before the 2012 preseason and put...
Fight for Independence (January 1998)
Are officials employees or independent contractors? Referee’s feature told the story that started with a local California official applying for unemployment compensation, a local...
Court Presence (April 2008)
Referee called on Alan Goldberger, an expert on officiating-related law, to summarize the most important court cases in the history of the industry.
They Made Officiating (November 2007)
One of our more challenging compilations identified the people who were most influential in shaping and maintaining the officiating industry.
Nobody Told the Officials (August 2006)
It’s rare to encounter highly unusual or extraordinary situations, but such was the case when a high school football crew in Cincinnati put player...
The Case for Three-Person Mechanics (October 2005)
Referee’s landmark story has been used as a roadmap by many officials associations when they negotiated with schools, conferences and assigners, and ultimately helped...
Are You Your Own Worst Enemy? (September 1980)
In the first of what would prove to be many features on the psychology of officiating, Referee suggested that officials point an accusing finger...
A Long Way Down (July 1991)
A gut-wrenching profile in Referee revealed that a former NBA legend was an alcoholic, living in the backseat of a dilapidated auto and was...
The Art of Being an Official (July/August 1977)
Building a schedule, working with other officials, managing the game — the very essence of what it takes to be and means to be...
The Games of Stephen Peterson (March 1995)
The strange story of a high school football official who bore a resemblance to an NFL official. Peterson had hoodwinked his friends, the local...
Say Good Knight (November 1999)
Referee got an exclusive interview with Ted Valentine, the referee whose run-in with Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight featured discord on the court as...
Heads or Tails (May 1999)
It was the coin toss heard round the world when veteran NFL referee Phil Luckett seemingly “screwed up” the simple flip. Amid a media...
Not Enough Refs (October 2001)
NASO data reported in Referee as early as 2001 revealed what our current survey is making absolutely clear, there is, and has long been, a...
Vindicated (February 1999)
A simple call on the world’s biggest stage led to widespread international vilification of U.S. soccer referee Esse Baharmast. But when the call was...
Camp ACC (May 1998)
The business practices of Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball officiating coordinator Fred Barakat came under scrutiny when a Referee probe uncovered that Barakat was...
Death of a Union (May 2000)
Years of strife between the Major League Umpires Association and Major League Baseball came to a head in July 1999 when Richie Phillips, the...