Rephonic
Artwork for The Crown Refs Podcast

The Crown Refs Podcast

Paul Diasparra
Basketball Officiating
Game Management
Refereeing
Crown Refs
Coaching
Sportsmanship
Basketball
Mentorship
Referee Training
Community Building
NBA
Crown Refs Community
Technical Fouls
Officiating
Patreon
Referee Signals
Communication
Physical Education
Referee Communication
Communication Skills

The Crown Refs Podcast is the ultimate audio experience for basketball officials looking to elevate their craft, build confidence, and achieve long-term success on and off the court. Hosted by Paul Diasparra, this podcast helps referees master their skills, refine their judgment, and develop a strong officiating mindset. It features top names in officiating like Joey Crawford, Roger Ayers, Dee Kan... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes361Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BasketballSports

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Crown Refs Podcast

Latest Episodes

What happens when a coach, a former D1 athlete, and a veteran basketball official sit down and actually watch game film together? This episode features Austin — former Iowa State basketball and football player, high school head coach, and creator of ... more

Tommy Short is a former NCAA Division I men’s basketball official who built an impressive career working across multiple conferences before making the rare decision to step away in his mid-30s — not because he was “done,” but because he was crystal c... more

In this moving episode, Ryan Cadres joins the Crown Refs Podcast in honor of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month to share his powerful journey through officiating, leadership, and life. A 27-year official, current president of IAABO Board 54 in Massachuse... more

Brenda Hilton returns to the Crown Refs Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about her pioneering work through Officially Human and the long-term mission of restoring respect for sports officials. Brenda shares the evolution of the organization from... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Austin McBeth
Coach and creator of The Film Room, content creator focusing on basketball breakdowns
Private coaching/content creation
Episode: #430 Common Ground for Officials & Coaches | w/Austin McBeth | Creator of The Film Room
Tommy Short
Former Division I official, author, and speaker
Former Pac-12 Official
Episode: #429 The Call I almost Missed | A year without a cell phone | Tommy Short | Former Pac-12 Official, Author, Speaker
Ryan Cadres
IAABO Board 54 President, cerebral palsy advocate and official
IAABO Board 54, Crown Refs
Episode: #428 Disabled, Not Unable | with Ryan Cadres | IAABO Board 54 President | Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
Brenda Hilton
Co-founder of Officially Human; not-for-profit advocate
Officially Human
Episode: #427 Raising the Standards | The Rocky Road to Good Sportsmanship | with Brenda Hilton | Officiallyhuman.org
Lisa Mattingly
Notable official in women's basketball, worked Final Four National Championship games
Episode: #420 The Best of 2025 Mix | THANK YOU FOR 7 YEARS PODCASTING
John Blazek
Veteran referee with insights on officiating at higher levels
Episode: #420 The Best of 2025 Mix | THANK YOU FOR 7 YEARS PODCASTING
Rob Wann
Known as Ref Rob, a referee with a significant social media following for his insights into officiating.
Independent Official
Episode: #417 Ref Rob | The Internets Favorite Referee | feat. Rob Wann | Tik Tok Live
Tamara Jarrett
Co-founder of Elements Athletics and creator of Mic'd Up for Refs
Elements Athletics
Episode: #414 🎙️MIC'D UP: The Tool Helping Refs Gain Back Control | w/Tamara Jarrett
Marc Vaccaro
Health and wellness expert focused on nutrition and fitness for athletes
Episode: #415 💪🏽Health & Hoops🏀 | Longevity, Injury Prevention, & Clean-Eating for Officials | w/Marc Vaccaro

Host

Paul Diasparra
Host of Crown Refs Podcast; long-time official and educator focused on improving officiating craft, mentoring, and community building.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 173 ratings
  • Lost it’s way

    Been a follower for years but it seems Paul & the podcast has lost its way.

    Not offering much on content anymore, instead, just out to make money. Don’t hate em for that, just not what I’m tuning in for.

    The evaluations at AAU tournaments are tough to listen to.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    huge ashole
    United States3 years ago
  • Great podcast

    As a younger official I’m always trying to find more info and tips to improve. This podcast is amazing

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mookie2244
    United States4 years ago
  • Best basketball official content you’ll find

    Paul puts together great content! Theres nothing better out there in terms of basketball officiating content.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Prince_Andrew
    United States5 years ago
  • Keys to improving as a official

    I started listening to this podcast over a year ago, and I was instantly hooked. I went back and listened to every episode. At the time I think there was 50 or so episdoes. Every episode I walk away with multiple tips to implement into my game. It has become a great pregame listen on my way to my games and helps keep those tips from the episode fresh. Paul does a great job not only bringing great guest but keeping the content ideas new and different, from the IDP, to rules talk, the NBA/NCAA Off... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pedrojr44
    United States5 years ago
  • Great Information

    Lots of great information for basketball officials of all experience levels. Highly recommend

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NickNakster7
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great tips from guests and solid on-air coaching dynamics.
This is an essential resource for basketball officials looking to improve.
Community-focused and mentoring-driven; a go-to for growth in officiating.
The host delivers practical guidance and real-world insights with humility.
The content is highly actionable for officials at all levels.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#224
Australia/Sports/Basketball
Apple Podcasts
#111
Israel/Sports/Basketball
Apple Podcasts
#131
Belgium/Sports/Basketball
Apple Podcasts
#136
Mexico/Sports/Basketball
Apple Podcasts
#208
Japan/Sports/Basketball
Apple Podcasts
#248
Netherlands/Sports/Basketball

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#430 Common Ground for Officials & Coaches | w/Austin McBeth | Creator of The Film Room
Q: Do officials actually want to talk to coaches during a game?
They generally welcome respectful questions and will explain their perspective if asked politely, especially when the inquiry is about a specific play rather than broad strategy.
#429 The Call I almost Missed | A year without a cell phone | Tommy Short | Former Pac-12 Official, Author, Speaker
Q: What led you to retire, and how did the personal factors influence that decision?
He explains wanting to prioritize family after having his first child, recognizing the long-term trajectory of travel and time away from loved ones, and choosing to step away at the peak to pursue other opportunities.
#428 Disabled, Not Unable | with Ryan Cadres | IAABO Board 54 President | Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
Q: How has cerebral palsy shaped your officiating approach?
Ryan explains that CP influences his movement and pregame routines, but on the court his focus is on preparation, rules mastery, and building trust with his partners and signers, which enables him to perform at a high level.
#427 Raising the Standards | The Rocky Road to Good Sportsmanship | with Brenda Hilton | Officiallyhuman.org
Q: What is the motivation behind the activity book and the not-for-profit pivot for Officially Human?
Brenda explains that the book is designed to introduce officiating to youth in an engaging way, using characters and stories to humanize officials. The not-for-profit shift allows reinvestment into the mission, expansion of distribution, and fundraising to maximize reach.
#424 quiet CONFIDENCE | Handling Coaches, Critics, & Pressure
Q: What skills will you teach sports officials that attend this camp?
The camp will focus on communication with coaches, game management, signal proficiency, and individual feedback to help officials enhance their performance.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Crown Refs Podcast

What is The Crown Refs Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on basketball officiating, leadership, and game management, often weaving practical mechanics, communication with coaches, and career journeys of officials and mentors. Episodes blend in-depth rule and mechanics discussion with personal stories, coaching perspectives, and community-building through Crown Refs events and mentorship. Notable strengths include candid conversations with high-profile officials, strategic guidance for on-court presence, and a strong emphasis on mentorship, growth, and serving the game. The format often doubles as a resource hub for officials seeking practical tips, camp information, and strategic frameworks for improving judgment, communication, and confidence on the court.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Crown Refs Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Crown Refs Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Crown Refs Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Crown Refs Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Crown Refs Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Crown Refs Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Crown Refs Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Crown Refs Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Crown Refs Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Crown Refs Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Crown Refs Podcast:

1. Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast
2. The Ramsey Show
3. The Dr. John Delony Show
4. Fantasy Footballers - Fantasy Football Podcast
5. The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

How many episodes of The Crown Refs Podcast are there?

The Crown Refs Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 361 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Crown Refs Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Crown Refs Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Crown Refs Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Crown Refs Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Crown Refs Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Crown Refs Podcast?

Recent guests on The Crown Refs Podcast include:

1. Austin McBeth
2. Tommy Short
3. Ryan Cadres
4. Brenda Hilton
5. Lisa Mattingly
6. John Blazek
7. Rob Wann
8. Tamara Jarrett

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days