Taking Care Of Business

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Covering legal issues, insurance concerns, and best practices related to taxes, reports and paperwork.

Step Up When a Player Goes Down

There’s a scramble for a loose ball. Before the ball is secured, the referee hears a scream. One of the players is lying on the court and...

Rules Test Tips for Takers and Givers

There are those who argue that a rules test is not the most reliable method of determining an official’s rules knowledge. How much stock you place in...

Essentials of Game Security

Sadly, personal safety is a concern for officials today. What’s being done to ensure game security and our welfare? John Locke, the 17th century English philosopher and physician said, “All mankind...

Handling an Accident and Insurance from Game Travel

Sometimes the riskiest part about being a sports official is getting to and from the game. Sure, no official likes the abuse we often...

Let the Media Handle the Postgame Commentary

When it comes to officials and the media, it might have been legendary major league umpire Bill Klem who said it best. “I don’t...

Special Circumstances That Go Beyond Any Rulebook

If you work long enough most officials will find themselves in the middle of special circumstances that go beyond any rulebook. It’s a cold December evening but the gym...

A Guide to Defending Your Officials

Every season association officers get letters, letters and more letters that may lead you to defending your officials. “How could we have 10 fouls and...

Your Words Have Ramifications

your words have ramifications. In England, a soccer referee was reportedly forced to quit the Premier League after he allegedly mocked a disabled man...

What Do You Have to Hide?

Knock, knock. “Hello, Mr. Smith. We’re with the state association. We’re conducting a little check of all our registered officials. You don’t mind if...

Should You Sign A Post-Injury Waiver?

Consider this situation: There was a serious player injury that occurred during a game you officiated. An ambulance had to transport the player to the hospital for...

What to Do If You’re Attacked

Assaults against sports officials are drawing unprecedented attention. Many states have passed legislation designed specifically to protect sports officials from being attacked. More and...

Coexist with Photographers

Officials are in the middle of the action, focused on the game but also aware of the sideline surroundings. Similarly, photographers and community access cable television camera operators...

Don’t Officiate an “Unofficial” Game

Games can be over before they begin. Some officials fall into the trap of officiating the extra inning after a run rule, or starting...

Don’t Even Let the Fight Start

When an official asks, ”What should I do if a fight breaks out?” I’m forever tempted to answer, “Dude, don’t let it happen again.”...

7 Things You Must Know About Game Contracts

By Alan Goldberger Game contracts are a part of officiating. Every officiating assignment — at every level — represents a contract or part of a...

Enforce Mercy Rules

The failure to follow a mercy rule is probably not enough by itself to make an official liable for a player injury. However, it...

Enforcing vs. Interpreting the Rules

Today’s high school sports officials are often caught between the “rock” of enforcing rules strictly and the “hard place” of interpreting the rules sensibly,...

Weather Woes

An important concept in officiating is learning to control the things that you can control. We can control the amount of time that we...

Take a Peek Inside An Assigner’s Notebook

W hile I have officiated since 1975, I have also served for 22 years as a high school softball assigner and 14 years as an...

Write Incident Reports Right

It is one of the most distasteful duties any official is required to perform: the post-ejection or incident report that must be filed by...

When Your Partner Doesn’t Show

Every time you take the floor or field as an official, drive a car, or even try to help someone put their bag in...

Can Player Ejections Be Overturned by a Court?

All state high school athletic associations impose postgame disciplinary actions on student-athletes and coaches who are ejected from a contest by reason of unsporting...

What is an Oral Contract?

The difference between an oral contract and a written contract is obviously the writing. A contract is simply an offer accepted by another party with the parties exchanging something...