Referee Lists Best Calls in Officiating History

RACINE, Wis. — What are the best calls of all time? Referee magazine reveals the top picks in its latest feature “The 18 Best Calls in Officiating History.” There have been a lot of great calls by referees and umpires over the years in sports history, but Referee reveals its “best of the best” in the March 2007 issue of the magazine.

Some the calls that made the list include: the no-call by major league umpire Larry Barnett on the Fisk/Armbrister collision in the 1975 World Series; the pass interference call by football official Terry Porter in the 2002 BCS national championship game; the penalty call by American soccer referee Esse Baharmast in the 1998 World Cup match between Brazil and Norway; and the signal of a three-point goal by Division I men’s college basketball referee Jim Burr in the final seconds of the 2005 Elite Eight match-up between Michigan State and Kentucky.

In addition to being verifiably correct, the calls were selected based on prominence, difficulty, the stage on which they were made and their impact. The calls came from international, professional, college and high school games.

To help compile the list, surveys were sent to members of the National Association of Sports Officials asking for input. Referee also phoned and e-mailed dozens of the greatest officials of all time, asking for their opinions. After months of discussion, the final “best calls” list was put together by writer Paul Hamann and the Referee editors.

Referee magazine, part of the Referee Enterprises Inc. (REI) family of sports-oriented publications, is a monthly publication for and about sports officials. To request a copy of “The 18 Best Calls in Officiating History,” contact REI at 262-632-8855 or editor@referee.com.

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