MOSCOW, IDAHO - No one would argue they're the most popular person on the basketball court... Or baseball field, football field, you name it. But from time to time, even the men and women in blue, gray, or the zebra stripes know they could use a tune up.

That's what's happening at UI's Memorial Gym this week. In this case, it's a camp for basketball referees, and Organizer Dave Hall said the stripes are put to practical use.

"Colleges around the country put together team camps for the teams in the area, and they don't have any officials to referee the games. So what happens is they contact somebody like me, and I then organize the officials side of this, And so when the teams are playing, I provide the officials, so it's a win/win situation," said Hall.

Hall is out of Denver, and says he's done this before with Idaho's new head coach, Don Verlin, when he coached at Colorado State University.

The whistle-blowers aren't new to the gig. In Moscow were high school and college referees, who might be looking to make it a career.

"There are different camps through the country for different levels. And this camps here is one that is for the Frontier League and the NAIA league." Hall added, "And certainly if a guys good enough, they move them up to the division one level."

Now, if it does become a career, Hall reminds his refs it's not one of much positive feedback. He does all the normal work on the court, like how to look at plays and where to stand, but that's only half of it.

"In the second part of the my camp is a classroom sessions where we teach game management, dealing with coaches, where to stand on chalkboard talks, that type of thing," said Hall. "So, it's really a two-fold process of what we're trying to accomplish with our officials."

The camp wrapped up Wednesday.