Have you ever been sued or named in a lawsuit in connection with your officiating?

NASO members said:

75%	No, I have been fortunate enough to stay away from any suits and out of the courtroom.
14%	Yes, I was name in a lawsuit in regard to a local association issue.
7%	No, but a parent, coach or player has threatened a lawsuit following one of my games.
2%	Yes, I was named in a lawsuit in regard to a call or judgment ruling.
2%	Yes, I was named in a lawsuit in regard to a participant injury.

To view previous issues of NASO LockerRoom

Learning From the Legends

Since 1976, Referee has published interviews with some of the top names in sports officiating. Many interview subjects have offered advice on how to become a better official.

Much of the advice offered in older issues — from the late 1970s and early 1980s — still applies today. The following tips from magazine interviews have been selected because they have stood the test of time. Some of those who offer the advice have since passed on. All were involved in basketball, though their advice applies to all officials. The words of wisdom they’ve shared will help you this year and beyond.

Hank Nichols, then men’s college referee, now NCAA national coordinator of men’s basketball officials: “If I learned one thing that really helped me early, it was to be demonstrative when you have to be and look like you know what you’re doing. … (But) I was too cocky when I started, like everybody was. I thought I was better than I was and I probably was a little too aggressive with players and coaches. … I was too quick with technical fouls too. (Speaking as a veteran referee) I have a much better understanding of the pressures and emotions involved. I try to stay low-key, handle a situation without a technical foul. There are other times, however, when the game starts to go south.”

Dale Kelley, former men’s college referee, now coordinator of men’s basketball officials for five conferences, on his officiating philosophy: “You go out in a very professional manner, look professional from the time you get to an arena to the time you leave. You hustle and work hard to get in the right positions, you keep your mouth shut, blow the calls, make the tough calls and satisfy yourself. And don’t go out there to try to satisfy the fans or some coach; you go out there to do what you think is right. There are lots of intangibles. Knowing the rules just won’t get the job done. All of those things are important, but the official’s personality is going to dictate whether he’ll be a success or failure.”

Irv Brown, former men’s Division I referee: “I never really worried that much about calls in a basketball game. To me the key was control; you’re going to miss so many judgment calls no matter what anybody says. I’m more interested in control and that the coach realizes, ‘Hey, this guy’s in control. If we lose this it’s not because he didn’t give both teams a chance to win.’”

Mendy Rudolph (deceased). Then a former NBA referee, on what he looked for when observing officials: “There were three or four important qualities. One was how he covered the floor. How he ran, how he knows the game of basketball by being in position. The second one, when a play came his way, how quickly he reacted to the play, how he didn’t think on the court — a matter of reaction rather than a thought process. Three was, of course, a strong whistle. … The fourth was how he controlled himself.”

John Nucatola (deceased). At the time of the interview, a former college and pro referee and former NBA supervisor: “As an official you don’t have the right to lose your poise no matter the provocation. That is important to remember. Officials promote irritations by being arrogant or using certain facial expressions when making a call. They shouldn’t disdain a player for a particular foul. Showboating your calls is strictly out. When a call is made your demeanor should show the following attitude, ‘I’ve made the call and I’m right.’ But if your manner challenges coaches or players to dispute you, then the call becomes all the more irritating.”

Don Rutledge, former men’s Division I referee: “There are written rules and there are unwritten rules. Referees have to know cold the written rules, but the unwritten rules are what separate good officials from the bad ones. There’s certain things you can do on the floor that coaches will accept and certain things they don’t accept. For example, the traveling rule. A player is in the mid-court area, all by himself, and he moves his pivot foot an inch, gaining no advantage. Technically that’s a travel, but it’s very seldom called, which is accepted. On the other hand, if the player is closely-guarded in the mid-court area and gets around the defender by doing the same type of thing, he’s gained an advantage and the travel must be called.”

J. Dallas Shirley (deceased). At the time of the interview a men’s Division I supervisor and former college and pro referee: “A referee must give 110 percent, never walk when you can run. Develop your own style so you can be picked out, but stay within the framework of the mechanics guidelines. That’s not impossible to do. Why do we do that? Because we’ve got to have teamwork. I never assign two men to a basketball game; I assign one team, which consists of two men. The two men will give us coverage, which will provide the proper communication. I’ve got to know where you are and you’ve got to know where I am and what I’m doing. If we don’t have a means of communication, we’re in trouble.”

Dr. Edward Steitz (deceased). Then NCAA men’s basketball editor, when asked if the rules must be enforced to the letter: “No, and this is the basic thing I’ve tried to contribute — the one rule, one interpretation — but it’s all within a realistic approach. The realistic official is the fellow who says, ‘Hey wait a minute. For all intents and purposes, no advantage was gained.’ That’s the key in officiating. We have the rules, we have the interpretations; did he gain an advantage not intended within the spirit and intent of the rule?

“I don’t give a damn what the sport is, if the officials will officiate under that philosophy, they’re not going to blow a call. That’s what I call realistic officiating. You show me any official who has worked the Final Four and I’ll show you a realistic official who knows the rules and recognizes when somebody gained an advantage not intended within the spirit and intent of the rule.”

Tales From the Trenches …

Real stories by officials, for officials. Send in your most memorable recollection from the following topics and tune in next month for the best stories.

Pull Up a Chair…

Everyone who’s ever stepped onto a field, court or rink to officiate a game has a story to tell. Here’s a story about some officiating shoes that traveled a lot of miles. (Do you have a story to tell? Write it down and e-mail to lastcall@referee.com.)

These Shoes Were Made for Reffing

By Dave Simon

When you buy a new pair of basketball officiating shoes, you’re not thinking about retirement. You’re thing about how many games you’re going to get out of them before your feet start to hurt. You’re wondering if they’ll last the season. You’re hoping they’ll hold a lot of special memories you can savor as the years advance.

Mine do. But for a different reason.

It’s now been three full years since I donned the stripes and whistle to go along with the black high tops. I wanted to make 20 years on the hardwood, but stopped after 18 once my full-time job became a 24-7 operation with a pager on my lanyard rather than a whistle.

The shoes stayed in my closet, hoping for a return.

The shoe-trees kept them well-formed in the back of my closet, where my high school and college jackets collected dust. Occasionally I’d be rummaging for a shirt and look at how dirty my old officiating pants were, how many times I’d worn them, the pair I’d split when I didn’t have an extra. They stay in my closet for some odd reason. Perhaps validation of what I once did.

The shoes are different. As two years became three, and I understood my officiating would be confined to talking with officials and assigners before, during or after my kids’ basketball games, I began to dream again, to make my shoes into something new. Give them a new career.

The one thing about basketball officiating shoes is that they’re comfortable and provide great support. They have to be. With all the pounding from a grown man running six miles a night, they must protect your arches, ankles and knees during countless sprints in any given game. Good shoes keep you healthy.

By understanding that, implicitly I understood they had another life waiting, as all of us do who give up officiating. Though we may not want to face it, we must be open to the experience.

My shoes were.

One day I took them out of the closet, clapped them together, brought out the polish, gave them a shine. I remembered my last game, teeing up a coach whose games I’d officiated countless times, still wondering why he’d chosen that game to get in my face. No matter.

The grass needed to be mowed. I put them on laced them up. Perfect. Did a few stretches. Down the stairs, it felt like I was walking on cushions. Had they always been this soft and exactly contoured to by feet?

The mower roared to life and my shoes propelled me over humps, stabilized my ankles, kept me pushing energetically row after row.

It’s a new avocation for them to pursue now, one that turns them green at the end of the day. They stand with me on the basketball court now as I cheer the team I coach, shouting encouragement to nine-year-old boys.

The shoes pedal my two bicycles, work out with me in the morning, take me on walks, nap with me on the couch while the NCAA tourney plays softly on the TV. And they still feel good.

Like me, someday they will wear out. That day has not come yet.

Who knows? They might hike the Australian outback, canoe the boundary waters of upper Minnesota, drive across America.

If they break down, I have another pair stashed away, waiting for these to wear out. When the new pair is old and torn, who knows? It might just be time to buy another pair.

Dave Simon lives in Grapevine, Texas. He officiated basketball for 18 years, working primarily high school and small college games.