12-year veteran
40-year-old official (but “He looks
to be in his 40s”)
$15 not $15.00
adviser
airball
alley-oop
all-star
alternating possession
alternating-possession arrow
assigner
backboard
backcourt
back-row player
backstop
ballbag
ballcarrier
ballclub
ballgame
ballhandling
ballhandler
ballpark
ballplayer
ballside mechanics
baseline
basepath
baserunner
batter’s box
beanbag
beanball
Big Ten
box-out (noun)
box out (verb)
box score
break away (verb)
breakaway (noun, adj.)
bullpen
bylaws
casebook
center field
center fielder
chin strap
close-down position
coed
corner kick
courtside
crewmate
crossbar
curve ball
dead-ball signal
delayed dead
diagram A
Division I (NCAA)
Double-A
double play
doubleheader
downcourt
downfield
earflap
endline
end zone
face off (verb)
faceoff (noun)
facemask
fair catch
fair-catch signal
fastball
fast break
fast pitch
fast-pitch softball
field goal
field-goal attempt
first base
first baseman
first down
first-base line
first-down play
fly ball
forecourt
foul line
free kick
free throw
free-throw line
frontcourt
full time (adv.)
full-time (adj.)
fullcourt press
fundraiser
game two (World Series)
game clock
game site
game time
gameboard
gameplan
goalkeeper
goalkick
goalline
goalpost
goal-scoring opportunity
goaltending
grass-roots level (but “starting at
the grass roots”)
ground-rule double
halfcourt
halftime
handchecking
handoff
hashmarks
home plate
home run
home team
homecourt
inbounds
infield fly
infield-fly rule
in-season
Internet
Jr. Sr. (no comma: Sammy Davis Jr.)
jump ball
jump shot
kickoff (noun, adj.)
kick off (verb)
kick-catch interference
late hit
Law (soccer)
layup
leadoff
leads off
left field
left fielder
left-handed
left-hander
line judge
line drive
linesman
line up (verb)
lineup (noun)
lineup card
live ball
locker room
major league umpire
makeup call
man-to-man
match-up
midcourt
midfield
National Referee
no-call
nonplayable
nonplayers
off-ball fouls (but “look off ball”)
officials association (no apostrophe)
offseason
offside
OK (OK’d OKs OK’ing)
oncourt
on-deck circle
one-and-one
onfield
onside
outfielder
out of bounds (adv.)
out-of-bounds (adj.)
overrule
overtime
Pac-10 Conference
part-time
pass interference
peewee football
penalty kick
penalty mark
picked off first
pickoff play
pinch hit (verb)
pinch hitter
pinch-hit (noun, adj.)
pitchout
pivot foot
placekick
play off (verb)
playoff (noun, adj.)
play on
PONY Baseball
pop up
postgame
postpone
postseason
pregame
preseason
pressbox
put out (verb)
putout (noun)
quarterfinal
re-entry
rekick
right field
right fielder
right-handed
right-hander
rulebook
rulemaker
runback (noun)
running back
rundown
sacrifice fly
scorebook
scorekeeper
second base
second baseman
semifinal
semipro
send off (n. and v.)
shinguards
shoestring catch
shortstop
shot clock
shut out (verb)
shutout (noun, adj.)
sideline
sideout
Single-A
slow pitch
slow-pitch softball
State Referee
stop-the-clock signal
strike zone
strikeout
T shirt
table side
teammates
tee ball
The Sports Officiating Summit
third base
third baseman
third-base line
three-point shot
three-point trys
three-second violation
throw in (verb)
throw-in (noun)
timekeeper
timeout
tip-off
touchback
touchdown
touchline
Triple-A
two-point trys
U.S.
upcourt
upfield
videotape
warmup (noun, adj.)
warm up (verb)
weakside position
wideout
wide angle position
wild pitch
windup (noun)
wind up (verb)
World Series (the Series)
World Wide Web (web, website)
yardline
Abbreviations
Alabama Ala.
Alaska Alaska
Arizona Ariz.
Arkansas Ark.
California Calif.
Colorado Colo.
Connecticut Conn.
Delaware Del.
Florida Fla.
Georgia Ga.
Hawaii Hawaii
Idaho Idaho
Illinois Ill.
Indiana Ind.
Iowa Iowa
Kansas Kan.
Kentucky Ky.
Louisiana La.
Maine Maine
Maryland Md.
Massachusetts Mass.
Michigan Mich.
Minnesota Minn.
Mississippi Miss.
Missouri Mo.
Montana Mont.
Nebraska Neb.
Nevada Nev.
New Hampshire N.H.
New Jersey N.J.
New Mexico N.M.
New York N.Y.
North Carolina N.C.
North Dakota N.D.
Ohio Ohio
Oklahoma Okla.
Oregon Ore.
Pennsylvania Pa.
Rhode Island R.I.
South Carolina S.C.
South Dakota S.D.
Tennessee Tenn.
Texas Texas
Utah Utah
Vermont Vt.
Virginia Va.
Washington Wash.
West Virginia W.Va.
Wisconsin Wis.
Wyoming Wyo.
Acronyms that do not need to be spelled out on first reference:
AL, ASA, FIFA, MLS, NAIA, NBA,
NCAA, NFL, NHL, NL, NASO,
NFHS, USSF
U.S. Cities That Don’t Require State
Atlanta
Baltimore
Boston
Chicago
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
New Orleans
New York
Oklahoma City
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Washington