#405 Building Better Referees from the Ground Up | with Chris Rastatter | D1 Men's National Coordinator

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 Episode:

• 🚦 Points of Emphasis for 2025–26: Why continuous motion will spark offense, how the coach’s challenge could add clarity and excitement, and why rule alignment across levels matters.

• 🏀 Mechanics & Positioning: Trail position high vs. low, center working inside-out, lead rotations with purpose, and why clock awareness is a separator.

• 👥 Crewship & Communication: Putting game first, crew second, self last; how to address issues in real time; and the cadence of secondary whistles.

• 🧠 Mindset Breakthroughs: The power of making the game “slow down,” and why mentors are vital for confidence and composure.

• 🎯 Evaluation & Advancement: What coordinators look for in postseason selection, how officials advance rounds in the tournament, and why accuracy, demeanor, and trust outweigh flash.

• 💡 Chris’s Wisdom: One play doesn’t define a career—own it, move on.

This episode is packed with concrete tactics, powerful insights, and behind-the-scenes perspective on how top-level officials are trained, evaluated, and selected.

FOR FULL EPISODE GO TO PATREON.COM/CROWNREFS