what is the best officiating book to read?

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by JoeT
I enjoyed "Calling the Shots: My Five Decades in the NBA" by the (in)famous Earl Strom. It's out of print, but Barnes and Noble's web site can find you a copy.

I have this book and have been recommending it for years to anyone interested in officiating. Among other topics, it gives Earl's explanation of why superstars are treated differently in the NBA. He supported this concept and explains why it makes perfect sense.

He also talks about his ABA days, his very early NBA days when officiating even at the NBA level was just a "second job" and about how Darryl Garretson ruined NBA officiating.

He gets into real depth about his theory of how games should be called and of the role of the official on the court.

Frankly, this book is worth the price for the anecdotes alone.