The N.F.L. Made Some Changes Since the Last Time You Watched

Unfamiliar jersey numbers, penalties for anything that seems like trash-talking, gambling everywhere. These changes will incite double takes this season.

College Football Changes: More 2-Point Tries and a Crackdown on Stadium Gamesmanship

Officials made some tweaks to the rule book for 2021. Next year, though, could bring much more rewriting.

Before Balls and Strikes, Umpires Make a Call to Pray

For more than a decade, a group of Major League Baseball’s umpires has convened by phone to pursue spiritual solace.

The Little League World Series Is the Pinnacle for the Umpires, Too

The players dream of nationally televised glory. But for the nervous and excited volunteer umpires, the goal is to go unnoticed.

A History of Baseball’s Modern Era in Four Umpires

With Joe West breaking Bill Klem’s record for games, a look at four umpires who can connect 1905 to 2021.