Officiating Books

This is a tremendous book for the beginning soccer referee. Like a mentor, Jeffrey Caminsky does an excellent job of letting the new referee know what to expect, how to be a referee, and all the other things that they don't teach you in class. This book is full of good advice and addresses a lot of the situations that I had been unclear or unsure about during my first twenty-five matches and had to learn the hard way. This book is also very readable; not a dry treatise on Laws of the Game. Caminsky has a sly wit that he reveals on occasion to keep things interesting.

For the intermediate referee, there are some "best practices" that can be drawn out; for example, the section on match control or some of the nonverbal communication techniques for use with ARs.

Advanced referees would be better suited with Evans & Bellion's "For the Good of the Game", an outstanding book in its own right but one that requires much more experience to fully appreciate. I read Evans & Bellion first, then Caminsky. Having now read both, I wish I had started with Caminsky first, then as I gained game experience, moved up to Evans & Bellion.

This book should be part of every new referee's starter kit.

I truly enjoyed this book. While it does have some useful tidbits for the experienced referee, I think that its greatest impact will be for the new or beginning referee.

This book will help referees understand the traditions and meaning of the game from the referee standpoint; case in point: Two instances of deliberate handling of the ball. One, the keeper strays outside the penalty area whilst booting the ball downfied. Two, the keeper reaches outside the penalty area to scoop up the ball with his hand and breaks up an attack. Both can be penalized with a direct free kick but, but which infraction requires that play be stopped?

The beginning referee will say "BOTH!", but the author recommends that, since the keeper really gets no significant advantage by using an extra few inches to send the ball downfield a verbal warning may be the best result - while breaking up an attack truly deserves the free kick.

It is these insights that I feel are well told. I liked the genial tone and amusing byplay of the book, and truly recommend it!

This book is brilliant. It has very useful advice and information for referees across the breadth of experience, from first year novices to 20+ year veterans.

Very helpful, wish I had this book when I started as a ref.

As a first year referee, this book has been invaluable to me. I have been able to apply many of Jeffrey Caminsky's tips. If you are a new referee, or wish to enhance your current skills, read this book!

Umpire Jocko Conlan (1899-1989) describes his long career in baseball in this entertaining biography co-written with Robert Creamer. Growing up on Chicago's South Side Conlan dreamed of playing for the White Sox, and briefly did so (1934-35) after years in the minors. One day as the Sox were about to play the Browns in St. Louis an umpire was out, so Conlan went in to officiate (as occasionally happened then) and the rest is history. Conlan officiated in the minors from 1936-1940, then spent a quarter century as an umpire in the majors. Conlan describes many facets of umpiring, including getting into position, not anticipating the call, using your head, and maintaining your integrity and respect. We also learn about the spitball, bean balls, arguments, travel, plus the non-stellar pay and benefits. This valuable book should be read by anybody with an interest in umpiring at any level, be it the pro's, high school, or little league. There's also much baseball history in these pages, including anecdotes about people like Leo Durocher, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, etc.

This dated book remains a valuable read, given Conlan's upbeat, intelligent style and Creamer's easy-reading prose.

Anyone who loves baseball will enjoy the stories Jocko relates in this book. A true baseball fan will appreciate the directness and honesty with which he went about his work--and wish that more of that were evident in the game today!

I've read the book over and over. Baseball means visiting the past in what we thought as kids as simpler times with heroes. Baseball players were my heroes. Jocko Conlan was a man behind the mask in control of the great game. I've related myself with a person's will without the GOD given gift to be a player but with the determination to find a place in the game. Jocko Conlan was just that. He found his way into the game through his determination and strength to be part of it. The stories depict the golden age of the time we considered the game our national pastime. What wonderful stories! What a wonderful baseball book!

As a young amateur umpire in 1966, I had bought and read this book by former National League Umpire, Jock Conlan. Well, 33 years later, a little worn and a little tattered, I still have the book amongst my collection. I found it to be a wonderful inspriing book about a fine umpire. It was enjoyable then, just as I think the remake of this book will be enjoyable to your readers now. Truly a collectors' item.

Have u ever been to a horse show and not understood why you pinned as you did? This GREAT book makes it so clear how the pinning is done! As a rider/coach for years I was never even aware of the exact details that judges look at but it's now clear to me that A LOT more goes into judging than most people think. This is GREAT for a trainer who is coaching kids to show or for someone showing. The author gears it toward all levels of riders... not just the top. GREAT BUY!

I did not need to read any farther than the first chapter and realized this was a great book! As a judge, I am always looking for updated information on horses. This book has great pictures that explain many problems of hunters today. It is a must have for all judges and trainers and for all disciplines of riders! Thank you Anna-Jane!

This is a good book for all of us planning on becoming judges. It provides useful information on judging hunters and hunt seat equitation, and provides nice black and white photos as examples. Just the book I needed to learn more about this discipline!

This book explains the many aspects of hunters and Eq. over fences and on the flat. It explains in great detail what the judges want to see and how to get it! I would reccomend this book!

This book is exceptional because it is geared toward everyone who wants to improve their game. Young/new officials will find this book helpful and it clearly explains each point. Each set of rules are clearly defined in the book (NCAA, USSF, & Federation), which allows it to be used as a wonderful teaching tool. The topics covered are relevant to today's game because the author is still very active in soccer.

From my experience with the Baseball Umpire Guidebook, I knew, sight unseen that I would love the Soccer Officials Guidebook. This book is full of information and excellent diagrams that will help not only new referees, but veterans as well. Any fans that always wondered about the officials positioning, or rules applications, will also find this book almost impossible to put down. This was my first purchase using Amazon.Com, and I'm sure it won't be my last.

Once you have memorized the rules, read this book in order to learn how to be an official. This book takes the rules off of the printed page and onto the field of play. The spirit of the game is emphasized over the letter of the law. Many excellent illustrations make it easier to understand the mechanics of soccer officiating. The reader should be able to understand the nuances of rules differences between FIFA, NCAA, and USSF.

This book, in addition to "For the good of the game" by Edwards & Bellion, have really helped me in my growth and development as a soccer referee. It is small but is to the point and very direct in its approach. This book will make you think about what you are doing on the field and, if applied, will help you be a better referee.

Excellent guide by an experienced referee who uses actually game situations to outline proper calls and when to make calls. My favorite section is the Myths of the game such as playing the ball while on the ground, its only a foul if it puts another player in danger. Plenty of room, no foul. Other good tips are on restarts so as to keep the game flowing (no need to wait for a whistle, let the free kick start when the offense wants to), underlining the critical decisions such as offsides (if you are not sure, no flag), how to referee the different age groups, different situations for adavantge for different age groups, how to control the game and when to apply cards when it is most appropriate and critical. Realistic commentary such as if both teams line up for a goal kick, even though you saw it lightly flick a defender, go withh the 21 other players that think its a goal kick. Very readable and to the point, 91 pages but lots of depth.

An outstanding read.Any sports official,player
or just fan,will enjoy this book.Very interesting
profiles of past officials,innovators,and rules
makers.Lots of serious,strange,and often humorous
occurances on and off the sporting fields.

"Upon Further Review' examines the profession that strives to be ignored but finds itself under closer scrutiny than at any time in history. This book takes you through the history of officiating, looks at some of the profession's more colorful characters, relives some of the decisions that altered the course of a critical game and season, and examines the issues facing today's official.

This volume of a three-volume set has become standard pre-season reading for me. I find that the two-man mechanics taught in this book are excellent for new and veteran umpires. Coverage of the diamond on almost any play that you will see is addressed. Step-by step information, positioning diagrams and proper umpire communication contained in this volume make this a must read for all umpires. I highly recommend this volume to anyone who has an interest in umpiring the wonderful sport of baseball. I also recommend this and both of the other volumes to anyone wishing to run a clinic for umpires.

Book gives positioning for every conceivable offensive and defensive set a team might throw at you. It teaches transition movement, ball-passing movement, shot movement. It stresses that in order to be a good ref you MUST understand the game itself and be able to anticipate what's coming next. It teaches you to recognize offenseive sets (man-to-man and zone, and the nuances of each subsequent variation) and the proper positioning. Unbeleiveably thorough and easy to understand. Well written. For instance, it suggests you wear a white t-shirt under your stripes (as opposed to black, recommended by most associations) because it makes your stripes look brighter and cleaner! A subtle, subconscious advantage that goes to making you LOOK like a referee! BUY THIS BOOK AND BE A BETTER REFEREE!!! (When is the three-man version coming out?)

Jeffrey Stern probably does not realize he has "done himself in" by writing this ultimate guidebook for football officials: It so completely and clearly covers every aspect of officiating that I fear it will render most other publications, including his own, practically obsolete. It will undoubtedly prove a particularly welcome addition to the bookshelves of rookie zebras in smaller countries, like ours, where American football is scarcely out of the egg, and but very few officials can pride themselves upon more than fice years experience. In addition to being the best guidebook in its field I've ever come across, there shimmers, throughout its 290 well illustrated pages, Jeffrey's (and his co-writers') love for football, giving this work a human touch,and making it a very readable document. dblajan@iae.nl

If you are a big time baseball fan and interested in knowing all about the greatest baseball manager of all time, this book is priceless. This is a supersized book and the pages are dense with information -- it is not a light read. This book is packed with the history of Joe McCarthy and the golden age of baseball. Only a scholar like Levy would have the patience to dig through thousands of newspaper articles over many decades to tell McCarthy's story in such detail. McCarthy was all business and spent no time romancing the press and making friends in social circles that would have glorified his achievements, but no one can argue with the facts. Every MLB team he managed contended and that's the real measure of a manager. The manager can't win a single game, but he can help put his team in a position to win the big ones. The manager can direct a team to the Pennant and World Series, but it's the players and luck that have to win them. This is the secret that every owner and GM should understand. It's fun to speculate what might have happened if the Cubs had held on to McCarthy for a longer period or if the Red Sox would have signed him on when he was much younger. We will never know if the Cubs or the Red Sox might have become the dynasty that the Yankees became. Everyone deeply interested in baseball should read this book.