Umpire & Referee
Comprehensive Sites
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Athletes, Coaches, UmpiresA description of what it is like to be a professional umpire is found at this site, as well as information on career preparation, job pay, and sources of further information on related careers. Work environment, education and training required for a variety of sports, employment, and job outlook are all explored. The latest wage information can be accessed from links near the bottom of the page.
ISeek: Umpires and RefereesWages, employment information, works activities, and the skills and abilities needed to be a successful umpire or referee are discussed at this site, provided by the Minnesota Department of Education. You can view more than 10 certifications that may be needed or helpful in your career as an umpire or referee and then access information on helpful high school courses to take and current hiring practices.
Occupational Titles
Umpire
Athletic Monitor
Referee
Sports Official
Accredited Academic Programs
Google: Top Sports Colleges and UniversitiesIf you are interested in looking into colleges with strong athletic programs, go to this all-in-one search engine and find a host of links that interest you as a potential a referee or umpire. For example, click on “football,” and find schools grouped according to NCAA division, rankings, and recruiting.
Umpire AcademyThis academy of professional umpiring describes its training program, instructors, alumni, and scholarships available at this site.
Wendelstedt Umpire SchoolAn introduction and overview to this program that turns out professional umpires is found online, as well as a weekly rules review for potential major league referees.
Salary Levels
PayScale.com: Umpire, Referee, or Sports OfficialThe median salary by years of experience can viewed at this PayScale chart, as well as the median salary by employer type or by the city you think you might be employed in. At PayScale you can get salary data by job title, your experience, and more.
Professional Organizations
Major League Baseball.comIf you are aspiring to become a major league umpire or referee, you might find this site interesting. You can read all about current players by performing an active player search, find the latest news in the industry, or connect to stats and specific team sites.
National Association of Sports OfficialsThe physical demands of being an official are explained at this page, as well as details on the officiating associations for amateur and high school leagues. You can connect to the NCAA college directory, collegiate national governing bodies for sports, and professional leagues and umpire schools.
Licensing & Certification
National Association of Sports Officials: How to Become and OfficialEach sport has its own officiating certification requirements, usually consisting of periodic meetings to understand rule changes and often written tests. Go to this site and you will find links for starting and continuing the certification processes across various sports, from amateur to professional, by looking at the individual sports menus.
Job Opportunity Sources
SportsJobs.comClick on the job subsection, and find a variety of job search boards dedicated solely to team and sports industry jobs. Referees and umpires, fitness training, and sports training links are also available for comprehensive listings in those areas.
Publications
Moves MagazineMoves is a professional sports resource, dedicated to providing behind-the-scenes coverage of the industry. A digital version can be viewed online. Departments include health, fitness, the “locker room,” broadcasting, players in real life, current deals, and up-and-coming sports figures, of interest to referees and umpires.
Officiating.comA site specifically geared towards sports officiating, this site offers departments for baseball, basketball, football, and many other popular sports needing official monitoring. This is a popular site for real officials and offers news of the industry, sports rules updates and changes, and links to the local associations.
RefereeThe magazine for sports officials is found at this site, with the online version containing links to information on baseball, basketball, boxing, football, hockey, lacrosse, softball, soccer, volleyball, and wrestling referee links. If you click on a selected sport, you will be taken to a description of the physical demands involved, initial training required, equipment needed, annual certification details, and a discussion of how to advance in the field.
Online Forums & Blogs
Officiating.com: The Official ForumAs its name implies, this site is a bulletin board for discussion of important topics in baseball, basketball, and football officiating, as well as rooms for several other sports. Threads and posts can be viewed and added to after a free registration process.
SportsBlogsSeveral news blogs covering a multitude of sports topics are available from this site, intended as a general sports blog resource.
SportsForums.netDiscuss any sport at this site, which includes rooms for baseball, basketball, football, golf, college sports, and other general sports discussions.
TrueHoop: Sports BlogsDifferent blogs can be accessed by clicking on the sports tab, which connects to more than 25 separate blogger pages. Each page offers coverage of the sport you selected, with headlines, scores, and must-read commentary.
Career Videos
ISeek: Umpires and RefereesThe career video at this site describes the rules and regulations that vary across sports and the main responsibilities of sports officials. Decision-making and other duties of professional referees and umpires are discussed.
YouTube: Umpires, Referees, and Other Sporting OfficialsResponsibilities of various sporting officials are introduced at this video of refereeing, including information on monitoring all the stats, action, and how to tune out the distractions. Other jobs of umpires and referees are clearly presented, in addition to essential qualities and the experience needed to get a job in sports.
