Win and you go on; lose and you go home. That’s the way these tournaments work for the teams, and it’s also the way they work for the officials, as John W. Adams, national men’s basketball officiating coordinator for the NCAA, explains:

It’s a thankless job. But if your bosses are happy and they’re writing your name down, assigning you to another game next week, then you’re doing what you’re supposed to do.

“Advancement in our tournament is merit-based,” Adams told me. “We have an on-site evaluator kind of doing an eye test on the officials during the game, and they make recommendations on advancement, as well as we have eight experienced - what we would call - tape graders. And then I’m in a control room watching all or part of every game, and I make my own notes.”

Obviously, Adams is looking for officials who get the calls right. Positioning is also critical. But Adams also told me he pays attention to how the refs handle the stars of the show.

“I look for interactions between the official and the coaches of both teams," he said. "And more importantly, maybe even, the players. I think the players know if officials are right or wrong. You can judge that by looking at their body language and their expressions and so on.”

[sidebar title="The Life Of A College Basketball Ref" width="630" align="right"]"The Whistleblower" by Bob Katz examines the career of former referee Ed Hightower. The author joined Bill Littlefield.[/sidebar]Adams surprised me a little with that contention. Perhaps I’ve seen too many players called for fouls respond with astonishment.

“Me!? What?! I didn’t touch him!”

Throughout the tournament, the excitement of the players on the winning team is obvious. The excitement of the officials who’ve been judged worthy of another assignment is less apparent, but according to Curtis Shaw, who’s worked seven Final Fours, it’s just as real.

“When I went to my first Final Four, it was, ‘Oh, man, I’m in the Final Four!’ And then it was, ‘Oh, shucks. I’m a standby,’” he said. “And then I went back and ‘Oh, man, I’m in the Final Four, but, oh, shucks, I’m in the semifinals and not the finals.' And so until the day that I was the crew chief in the national championship game, that’s probably the only day any referee can ever be truly happy, ‘cause you can’t do anything else. So we’re the same competitive edge and the same amount of ‘Wow! This is great, but I want a little more,’ that I think the coaches and the players have.”

Shaw is now the coordinator of officials for five athletic conferences. He has also been involved in mentoring young officials who dream of working the games everybody’s watching. His advice? Don’t ever worry about what the players, the coaches, or the fans have to say about your work.