Violet Palmer
Encyclopedia
Violet Palmer is an NBA and WNBA basketball
referee who toppled gender barriers to become the first female official to reach the highest competitive tier in a major U.S. professional sport. She also earned recognition as a member of two NCAA
Division II women's championship basketball teams. Palmer was the first woman to officiate an NBA playoff game when she did so in the April 25, 2006 match between the Indiana Pacers
and New Jersey Nets
. In the NBA, Palmer wears uniform number 12.
, Palmer grew up in the same neighborhood where Serena
and Venus Williams
lived as small children. She attended college at Cal Poly Pomona, where she played point guard
on the 1985 and 1986 NCAA Division II women's championship teams.
In 2001, Palmer established Violet Palmer's Official Camp to train youths in the art of refereeing. The camp runs annually from July 9 to July 11.
In 2009, Palmer was part of a family team on the game show Family Feud
.
After years of refereeing at various levels, including NBA pre-season and exhibition games, Palmer was offered an opportunity to officiate the NCAA Division I men's tournament in 1996. She accepted, but the offer was later retracted when NCAA members balked at the idea of having a female referee male players.
In 1997, however, Palmer and Dee Kantner were signed by the NBA to together become the first top-level female referees in any major U.S. professional sport. On October 31, 1997, Palmer made history when she and Kantner officiated the NBA season opener between the Vancouver Grizzlies
and the Dallas Mavericks
, in British Columbia
, Canada
.
As a woman
, Palmer's achievement was received with mixed feelings. While magazines such as Ebony and Sports Illustrated
generally celebrated her achievement, some NBA players were critical. NBA star Charles Barkley
was quoted as saying "“I don’t think women should be in the army, and I don’t think they should be NBA refs.” He would later apologize: "Violet, I was wrong about you. I apologize. You're all right with me." Former basketball player Dennis Scott
, who played for the Phoenix Suns
at the time, also expressed concern at having females referee male players. Scott, in particular, worried that female referees would feel verbally or physically abused. However, Palmer has been officiating without any major gender issues so far.
She was one of three NBA referees who officiated the brawl-marred December 16, 2006, game between the Denver Nuggets
and New York Knicks
. The officiating crew, which also consisted of Dick Bavetta
and Robbie Robinson
, ejected all 10 players who were on the court when the brawl broke out.
On May 28, 2009, Palmer was hired as coordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
referee who toppled gender barriers to become the first female official to reach the highest competitive tier in a major U.S. professional sport. She also earned recognition as a member of two NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division II women's championship basketball teams. Palmer was the first woman to officiate an NBA playoff game when she did so in the April 25, 2006 match between the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. In the NBA, Palmer wears uniform number 12.
Biography
A native of Compton, CaliforniaCompton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
, Palmer grew up in the same neighborhood where Serena
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on...
and Venus Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...
lived as small children. She attended college at Cal Poly Pomona, where she played point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
on the 1985 and 1986 NCAA Division II women's championship teams.
In 2001, Palmer established Violet Palmer's Official Camp to train youths in the art of refereeing. The camp runs annually from July 9 to July 11.
In 2009, Palmer was part of a family team on the game show Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
.
Referee career
Palmer has officiated hundreds of NBA games, as well as others in the WNBA.After years of refereeing at various levels, including NBA pre-season and exhibition games, Palmer was offered an opportunity to officiate the NCAA Division I men's tournament in 1996. She accepted, but the offer was later retracted when NCAA members balked at the idea of having a female referee male players.
In 1997, however, Palmer and Dee Kantner were signed by the NBA to together become the first top-level female referees in any major U.S. professional sport. On October 31, 1997, Palmer made history when she and Kantner officiated the NBA season opener between the Vancouver Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
and the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
, in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
As a woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
, Palmer's achievement was received with mixed feelings. While magazines such as Ebony and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
generally celebrated her achievement, some NBA players were critical. NBA star Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
was quoted as saying "“I don’t think women should be in the army, and I don’t think they should be NBA refs.” He would later apologize: "Violet, I was wrong about you. I apologize. You're all right with me." Former basketball player Dennis Scott
Dennis Scott (basketball)
Dennis Eugene Scott is an American former professional basketball player. A 6' 8" small forward from Georgia Tech, and the 1989–1990 ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Scott was selected by the Orlando Magic with the fourth pick of the 1990 NBA Draft after being the leading scorer on a...
, who played for the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
at the time, also expressed concern at having females referee male players. Scott, in particular, worried that female referees would feel verbally or physically abused. However, Palmer has been officiating without any major gender issues so far.
She was one of three NBA referees who officiated the brawl-marred December 16, 2006, game between the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
and New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. The officiating crew, which also consisted of Dick Bavetta
Dick Bavetta
Richard T. "Dick" Bavetta is an American professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association . Since starting in 1975, he has never missed an assigned game. By the start of the 2006–07 NBA season, he had worked 2,164 regular season and 228 playoff games, including 24 NBA...
and Robbie Robinson
Robbie Robinson (referee)
Robbie Robinson is a professional basketball referee who officiated in the National Basketball Association for 3 seasons beginning in the 2004-05 NBA season...
, ejected all 10 players who were on the court when the brawl broke out.
On May 28, 2009, Palmer was hired as coordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
.