nly one particular American A-Panel referee from our list in Part II has made the international cut. Don Reordan , who retired in 1998, received World Cup assignments in 1991 and 1995. He jumped the American system to accelerate his certification by moving to New Zealand for a few years.

Even today’s top A-grade refs cannot break into the lucrative international market. The group of 24 international referees in Part II is a closed, elite club. Let’s look at some of the trials American referees are experiencing.

REFEREE ASSIGNMENT: Ball boys and assigned referees (stripes) to an international test match. Referees from "neutral" countries usually get the nod. Andrew Cole (center, Australia), Guilio De Samtis (right, Italy), and John Degoede (left, Canada) worked a U.S. Eagles-Chile Condores test match in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2002. (Photo by SAMokofisi)

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