Why does it seem a bit goofy for an official to stand in front of a mirror and practice signals, but it’s normal for a player to spend hours working on a post-up move to the basket? Why would it seem strange to witness a basketball referee in his backyard tossing a jump ball to imaginary players, but there’s no problem with a baseball player hitting off a tee in his garage, practicing his swing?

Truth is, many officials don’t practice at all. Think about it: Is it really fair to the players and coaches who have put hours, weeks and years into their games for officials to show up without a second of practice? To that end, officials need to act more like players and coaches. We must practice what we do.

For his first two years in the NFL, referee Ed Hochuli was a back judge on former referee Howard Roe’s crew. Hochuli says that before every game, Roe stood before a mirror, practicing signals. One day, Hochuli jokingly asked Roe if he’d finally gotten them down pat. Roe turned to Hochuli and answered seriously, "It’s important to get it just right." Hochuli agrees that attitude helps officials improve. "You’re never too qualified to improve," said Hochuli. "Being picky pays off."

Techniques. There are lots of things officials can practice — some mental, others physical. This brief by-sport list shows just some of the things you could practice that will help you in your games.

Baseball/softball — Practice timing. Many umpires call plays too quickly and slowing down your timing helps. The next time you watch a game either in person or on TV, mentally practice your timing. Watch the pitched ball hit the catcher’s mitt, then mentally rehearse your timing. Don’t worry about calling the pitch a ball or strike; it’s the timing that you’re practicing. The same can be done for plays on the bases.

Ever have trouble taking your mask off? Practice removing the mask with your left hand while keeping your cap on. After doing that for a while, you won’t have your cap fall to the ground (or worse, fall into your face, covering your eyes) while a play is going on. Removing your mask in your living room will save you problems on the field.

Basketball — Practice your 10 second count. Have someone time you (or you can time yourself) and get your count just right. Many of today’s games are videotaped, so accuracy is crucial. If videotape shows team A still in the backcourt with 12 seconds elapsed but also shows you with only an eight count, you’re in trouble.

Practice tossing the ball for a jump ball. Stand directly underneath a basket (in your backyard, nearby gym or playground) and toss the ball directly upward to the height of the ring so that the ball passes through the ring without touching it. That will improve your accuracy.

Football — Practice tossing the ball underhand to your crewmate. Too often poor tosses among crewmates bounce aimlessly or sail overhead. It looks bad and slows things down. Work on it.

Also, do your best Howard Roe imitation and practice your signals, even if you’re not the referee. Make sure your signals are strong and crisp. While practicing them, think about the proper yardage and penalty administration.

Soccer — As an assistant referee, practice moving the flag to your field-side hand and signal direction appropriately. It’s a subtle movement but looks sharp when done properly.

Also, carry a whistle with you while jogging. Mentally plan for a major penalty to occur on different parts of your route. For example, "When I run past the next telephone pole, there will be a severe tackle from behind that warrants a red card." Then, when you reach that telephone poll, blow the whistle appropriately and practice using it to communicate effectively.

Take the time to practice. It will pay off when you need it most.

By Hal Kaye

Today is the deadline for filing your Federal and State income taxes. Have you done so?

If not, one of two things should happen no later than midnight tonight. Either file your tax return or file Form 4868, which is called the "Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Tax Return." If you are not ready to file your return by tonight, the law provides for the extension. This is an extension for filing your return — not an extension of time to pay your tax. It gives you an additional four months to get your return filed. In order for the extension to be valid, it must be postmarked by April 15. It also must include a good-faith estimate of the amount of tax you think you owe.

If your good-faith estimate shows that you owe taxes, you should send the amount in with your extension. But if you cannot pay by tonight, file the extension anyway. However, if your return is ready to be filed and you do not have the funds to pay the tax, file the return rather than the extensions. You will be subsequently billed for the tax. The Internal Revenue Service will work with you on an installment agreement if you cannot pay the amount you owed. If you do not file your return or extension or pay the taxes due on time, you may be subject to a penalty for not filing (up to five percent of the unpaid tax for each month you fail to file) and a penalty for not paying on time (up to one-half percent of the unpaid tax for each month you fail to pay). Common sense says to file your return or extension even if you cannot pay.

The most common reason we hear for needing to file an extension is "not having all my stuff ready." If that describes you, do yourself a favor and get organized for 2002 while you are catching up on 2001. After all, tax returns are based on information from our past. The best way to get ready to file your tax return is throughout the year. That prevents the panic that can happen today. Getting organized does not have to be complex. Often it means setting up a file or envelope for each type of income and expense. As you incur an expense, save the receipt and put it in the file or envelope at the end of the day. Make it part of your routine like tossing your loose change in a jar or hanging your keys on the peg by the door. If you deduct mileage, have a logbook in your car. Your logbook can be a small spiral notebook for jotting down the date and the number of miles driven.

April 15th is also an important date for retirement planning. If you are saving for retirement with a SEP IRA and want to deduct your
contribution for 2001, you must make your contribution to your SEP IRA account by April 15, 2002, unless an extension to file the tax return was timely filed in which case the SEP IRA contribution must be made no later than the extended due date of your return. Be sure to communicate to your broker the contribution you make is for 2001. Regardless of when you make the contribution to your SEP, the plan must have been in place by December 31, 2001, to allow a 2001 contribution to be made in 2002.

A contribution to a regular IRA account must also be made by the due date of your 2001 return, not including extensions. A regular IRA differs from the SEP plan in that the account can be established as late as today, and still get a deduction for 2001.

Getting your tax records organized is a good habit to form but even that does not tell you how the law may apply to you. As questions arise during the year, have a quick phone conversation with your tax advisor. This may save you headaches and lost deductions at tax time and is worth much more than relying on tax advice received from co-workers in casual conversation.

(Hal Kaye, an official for more than 30 years, is a certified public accountant in Englewood, Colo.)

NBA Teams Appreciate Local Refs

The high school and college basketball seasons had finished but the NBA was still winding down its regular season play when the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs conducted successful "Sports Official Appreciation Nights" on April 10 and 11.

The San Antonio Spurs event attracted 150 officials to the clinic and ticket sales totalling 220. Prior to the game's tip-off, Mike Lauerman, a supervisor on the NBA officiating staff, conducted a private clinic for attendees.

The event drew officials from across the country due to the timing of the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) convention being conducted that week.

It was the second time the Spurs hosted such an event and indications are they will host an event again in 2003.

The next night in Orlando, 40 local officials attended a clinic conducted by NCAA Division I official Rick Crawford and NBA officiating supervisor Wally Rooney.

According to local official Jim Mills, seven new officiating prospects registered at an informational booth set-up in the arena lobby.

NASO provided door prizes and giveaways at each event.

This basketball season four NBA teams participated in the "Sports Officials Appreciation" program. The Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks conducted events at the start of this year's NBA season. The program was so successful according to team marketing representatives that the NBA featured the concept at a league-wide team marketing director's seminar in March.

NASO would like to thank NBA Director of Officiating Ed Rush for his personal help in securing speakers for these events. NASO would also like to once again recognize all of those who participated in the program: Rush, Violet Palmer, Ken Mauer, Greg Willard, Rooney, Lauerman and Crawford. Each brought a special insight into the NBA program or collegiate officiating and provided attendees with a special evening of educational tips.

If your association is interested in trying to coordinate an event with your local NBA team next season, contact NASO Communications and Development Manager Bob Still at bstill@naso.org.

ECAC to Discuss the State of Soccer

The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) will present a seminar titled the "State of Soccer — Let’s Put Our Heads Together" at its annual spring convention. The ECAC has invited soccer coaches, officials and administrators to attend the seminar Tuesday, April 16 at the Boston Marriott Newton beginning at 9 a.m.

A press release from the ECAC says, "It has been stated that the game of soccer is out of control. The ECAC created this forum to combine the thoughts, ideas and actions of coaches, administrators and officials to make the game of soccer better."

ECAC Commissioner Phil Buttafuoco and ECAC Director of Soccer Officials Steve Rossetti have coordinated a panel of experts for the event. The panel is comprised of Rachel Woo, ECAC soccer referee and member of the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA) and Federation of the International Football Association; Peter Gooding, director of athletics and men’s soccer coach at Amhurst College; Terry Prouty, Southern New Hampshire University’s women’s soccer coach; Brian Quinn, University of Bridgeport men’s soccer coach; Dr. Doug Blais, NISOA referee and faculty athletic representative at Southern New Hampshire University; Ed Cannon, director of athletics and men’s soccer coach at Saint Anselm; Phil Pincince, Brown University women’s soccer coach and chair of the National Collegiate Athletic Association soccer rules committee; and Tim Schumm, editor of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s official magazine. Moderating the seminar will be Ray Cieplik, director of athletics and men’s soccer coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy.

For more information, call the ECAC office at 508/771-5060.

MBNA Extends Agreement for to 2007

MBNA, the world’s largest issuer of MasterCards and Visa credit cards, and NASO have agreed to an extension of the current affinity card program through March 2007.

The agreement means NASO receives a contribution from MBNA for every new account opened as well as a contribution based on card usage. More than 1,400 NASO members are current affinity card carriers.

The MBNA/NASO program began in 1991 and every year the program has grown. Earned royalties support the "NASO Education Partner" program.

For those sports officials who carry the card there are numerous benefits. Just a few are: no annual fee, a low monthly interest rate, around-the-clock fraud protection, 24-hour priority customer service and credit line increase decisions in 30 minutes or less.

NASO and MBNA jointly market the program to sports officials via direct mail, telemarketing and email.

"There are hundreds of credit cards available today to people, but I hope sports officials would take advantage of this offer," said NASO Chair Gary Whelchel. "The numerous projects and initiatives NASO is undertaking directly benefit from the contributions made to the "NASO Education Partner" program which the affinity card program supports."

If you are interested in obtaining a NASO MasterCard, call MBNA toll-free at 800/847-7378. Be sure to mention the NASO card program.

The Local Officials' Administration Network (LOAN) recently mailed nearly 5,000 surveys to local officials’ associations in an effort to learn more about the fundamental needs of associations at the local level.

"In talking with state associations and LOAN members, we’ve identified a number of specific needs in the area of local association management," commented survey coordinator Jim Neeb. "The goal of the surveys is to quantify what we’ve been hearing and then determine how we can meet those needs."

Two surveys were mailed: one to current LOAN-member associations and a separate version to non-LOAN associations. By splitting the surveys, LOAN hopes to gather information on any key differences that may exist between LOAN and non-LOAN groups. The surveys will also ask LOAN members to rate the quality of current LOAN features and rank the importance of existing and potential features.

Both state and local leaders have indicated that there is a great need to improve the quality of presentations at local association meetings. "In many cases, an official may be ‘volunteered’ to talk on a subject at a meeting, but doesn’t have the resources to give an interesting, effective presentation," Neeb said. "Rather than having that person read from the rulebook for the whole presentation, associations are looking for ‘off-the-shelf’ type products. By ‘off-the-shelf’ we’re talking about pre-packaged meeting materials — meeting topics, lesson plans, handouts, overheads, PowerPoint presentations — that an association can provide to its presenters. Obviously, states and local associations alike would love to see those types of products developed because it would definitely increase the quality of meetings and should lead to better officiating. With the surveys, we’ll find out just what kind of demand there is for these types of materials and proceed accordingly."

The LOAN surveys also ask questions about the needs of association administrators. While local association administrators may be good officials, they may have little or no experience with association management. LOAN wants to know what they need to do there jobs better. "That’s why LOAN is here. We’re here to make life easier for association leaders. That happens when they get the guidance and networking opportunities that LOAN provides. The survey results will give us an idea of how well we’re doing in that area and where we can improve," Neeb stated.

If your association has not received a LOAN survey but would like to participate, you may request a survey by calling LOAN at 262/681-5448. Both LOAN and non-LOAN associations are welcome to participate.

• Stay in the Game
• Officiating’s Brave New World?
  
• Is It Too Much to Ask?
  
• Basic Training: Meet the Coaches

Plus, there are features and insight on officiating news and more. As always, you’ll also find that the REFEREE editors have put together informative columns on baseball, basketball, football and soccer techniques.

Look for your issue of REFEREE any day. www.referee.com

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