The Crown Refs Podcast

Welcome to The Referee Helpdesk , the customer support center for basketball officials. Each week, I take questions I’ve received from referees across all platforms and answer them on Tik Tok Live—turning real-world scenarios into teachable moments for the entire officiating community. Think of it as your on-demand support line for everything that happens on and off the court. In this episode, we...

The Preseason PUSH | Feat. Chris Velaoras This episode features clips from May’s Crown Refs Skill Development Clinic (Signal School Session ) plus new halftime and post-game conversations from three fall-league games. Topics covered include: Getting together on all borderline intentional fouls Dead Ball officiating readiness during dive on fouls Faking being fouled and how to identify acting vs. g...

In this Crown Refs community rules session, Chris Velaoras and Mikaiya Moore led an in-depth breakdown of Rule 10: Fouls and Penalties , providing referees with the knowledge and clarity they need heading into the season. The discussion explored the different categories of fouls, including Flagrant 1 and Flagrant 2, using the WIF principle —windup, impact, and follow-through—as a practical framewo...

FOR FULL EPISODE GO TO PATREON.COM/CROWNREFS Chris Rastatter is the NCAA Men’s Division 1 National Coordinator of Officials, overseeing mechanics, training, and tournament selections for men’s college basketball. A 27-year DI referee, Chris worked the NCAA Tournament before moving into his leadership role, where he now mentors and evaluates the nation’s top officials. What You’ll Learn in This Epi...

Step inside the action at New York City’s legendary Pro City at LIU Brooklyn, where we miked up NBL official Kenny Widgeon. Kenny’s journey is as unique as it is inspiring—he broke into the professional ranks in Australia after a connection through the Crown Refs Podcast with Scott Butler, the NBL’s Coordinator of Officials. With years of experience on both sides of the globe, Kenny brings a calm,...

In this inspiring episode of the Crown Refs Podcast, Paul welcomes longtime community member and high-character official Montreal Cade , who currently resides in Columbia, Maryland. Montreal began his officiating journey through the intramural program at Towson University before getting certified and working high school basketball for the past eight years. Over the last six years, he has steadily...

In this powerful episode of the Crown Refs Podcast, we welcome Lisa Mattingly, Coordinator of Officials for the SEC and one of the most respected voices in women’s college basketball officiating. A veteran of the WNBA and NCAA Final Fours, Lisa has spent decades refining her craft both on and off the court. She brings unmatched wisdom, authenticity, and candor to the conversation as she reflects o...

🎙️ Welcome to The Skill Development Series! This episode was recorded at our first-ever in-person event — the Crown Refs Skill Development Clinic held on April 12, 2025, in Berlin, Connecticut. It was a long-awaited, highly anticipated, and special day that brought together core Crown Refs family members for a unique experience of relationship-building, learning, and growth. The event was designed...

Recorded live from CayVision Podcast Studios, episode 400 features Ashley Birch, a driven and inspiring NCAA Division I and NBA G-League official. Born and raised in Kansas City and now based in Dallas, Ashley opens up about her path into officiating after a playing career and a background in tech. Just completed her first season with the G-League, she talks about adapting to the speed, athleticis...

In Game Notes 043, we sit down with South Dakota official Jesse Stricherz for a reflective and educational IPR breakdown. Jesse, who began officiating at age 15, brings decades of experience and humility to the table as he shares the highs and challenges of managing competitive games. One of the standout moments in this episode is Jesse's discussion around coach interactions, particularly navi...

In this episode of the Crown Refs Podcast, we share a powerful conversation originally featured on the Five Tips & Tricks Podcast, where the spotlight is on what it truly takes to grow and thrive as a basketball official. The discussion covers the foundational pillars of officiating development—including mastering the rule book, maximizing game reps, breaking down film, and attending referee c...

In this episode of the Crown Refs Podcast, we explore the journey from our inception to becoming a thriving community for basketball officials. The narrative begins before 2018, detailing the launch of inaugural show, "The Basketball Shop," co-hosted by Mr. Pink. It then delves into the introduction of the Individual Performance Report (IPR) service—a film review and game breakdown offering—that p...

In this episode of The Dialed In Podcast , Paul and Marc continue their mission of inspiring transformation and optimization. Marc dives deep into his journey through fitness, nutrition, and movement training, sharing key insights on nutrient timing, gut health, and aligning your habits with your goals . His practical tips provide a relatable and motivating perspective on staying consistent—even t...

In this episode of the Crown Refs Podcast, we sit down with Ken Joslin, a former NCAA women’s basketball referee and college baseball umpire who transitioned from officiating to becoming a top entrepreneur, speaker, and coach. Ken shares his inspiring journey through the officiating ranks, including his pivotal moment at an SEC/ACC umpire camp, where he was told that in order to reach the next lev...

In this episode of the Crown Refs Podcast, we sit down with Austin Ardrey, also known as the Runnin Ref , to dive into the intersection of fitness, officiating, and performance training. Austin is a former strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level who transitioned into working with officials to help them stay injury-free, mobile, and game-ready. Through his Runnin Ref training progra...

In this episode of The Crown Refs Podcast, we dive into key insights for the 2025 season, breaking down the habits, mindset shifts, and game strategies that separate great officials from the rest. Topics Covered: ✅ Stop Judging Your Partners’ Calls – Focus on your role and elevate the crew. ✅ Next Play Mentality – Stay locked in and avoid dwelling on the past. ✅ Handling Reactions – Don’t be sh...

In the inaugural episode of The Dialed In Podcast, hosts Paul Diasparra and Marc Vaccaro take you on an inspiring journey through Paul’s remarkable awakening to wellness. After years of average and inconsistent progress, Paul shares the pivotal moment that transformed his health and mindset forever. Together, they unpack the exact steps Paul took to overhaul his approach to food with clean eating,...

Penny Davis is the NCAA Women's National Coordinator of Officiating for divisions 1, 2, & 3, a position she's held since 2019.  Before that, she had an incredible 17-year division career working in such conferences as the Pac 12, West Coast, Mountain West, Western Athletic, & the Big Sky. Penny is also fortunate enough to be in a select group of officials who have worked multiple NCAA Final Fours...

Join us as we celebrate six incredible years of podcasting and reflect on the highlights of 2024! This year has been monumental for Crown Refs, with the expansion of our global officiating community, the launch of our merch shop, and the debut of our online course designed to elevate the game for officials everywhere. This episode features moments with some of the best in the game, including Jason...

​ Be a Good Person: Build your foundation on character—be trustworthy, disciplined, and determined. ​ Be Coachable and Teachable: ​ Coachable: Apply feedback immediately and make adjustments in real-time. ​ Teachable: Be a lifelong student of the game, mastering both rules and mechanics. ​ Master Mechanics: Know where to be, when to be there, and what to focus on to ensure accurate play-calling. ​...

In this episode of the Crown Refs Podcast, we feature the inspiring journey of Jess Smith, a seasoned basketball official who has been making strides in college basketball officiating for over a decade, including seven years at the Division I level. Growing up in a basketball family, Jess was introduced to the game early on by her father, a former Division I women's basketball official. This uniqu...

In this episode of the Crown Refs Podcast, we welcome Brian Neale, a seasoned NFL official, successful entrepreneur, and co-host of the longest-running sales podcast, The Advanced Selling Podcast. Brian shares insights from his remarkable 27-year journey to reach the NFL, including how officiating shaped his life and taught him patience, resilience, and the power of setting goals. With an impressi...

In this episode, we are honored to have NCAA Men's Basketball Coordinator Gerry Pollard, a seasoned official with over two decades of on-court experience, joining us. Gerry shares his remarkable journey starting as a high school referee and advancing to 21 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, culminating in a Final Four appearance in 2021. Now a coordinator for multiple conferences, Gerry brings a wealth...

Welcome to Episode 2 of "Film Fam," featuring our community members Jay Bavolar from Hackensack, NJ, and Matt Kellog from Corry, PA. In this episode, we examine several plays from each official highlighting some of the strengths and areas of growth and improvement.⁣ ⁣ You will benefit from our detailed discussion covering the importance of positioning and maintaining an open view to be accurate. W...

We're excited to introduce Film Fam, our new film review series at Crown Refs! Inspired by our Game Notes series, Film Fam will feature at least two officials per session who will share a bulk of plays for review. In this first episode, we feature officials Anthony Johnson Jr. and Carter Mochinski, who both bring a diverse set of game clips for analysis. This collaborative platform is designed to...