All the NBA Playoff Refs are Male Again
What it says that 40 out of 40 postseason refs are men
Last NBA postseason, Ashley Moyer-Gleich made history by becoming the first woman to referee a playoff game since Violet Palmer’s run ended in 2012. NBA.com wrote up the designation as a very big deal. Apparently the wheels of progress have halted because the NBA announced its 36 postseason referees (plus 4 alternates) for 2025 and it’s one big sausage party. In summary, the league has designated 40 of its 74 total refs fit for playoff duty and none of its 9 female refs made the cut.
I don’t think this represents a demotion for Moyer-Gleich specifically, who hasn’t reffed a game in awhile. I’m speculating, according to rumor, but I believe she’s on leave for entirely benign reasons.
Still, I find the announcement notable because it’s a bit of “stated preference” versus “revealed preference.” In 2019, NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated that he wanted half the refs to be women.
The goal is: Going forward, it should be roughly 50-50 of new officials entering in the league.
Playoff duty is given to refs with the highest regular season scores. Now that the eyes of the world are upon NBA basketball, stated preference gives way to reality. The league might have certain aspirations for specific demographics, but they can’t afford screwups in this setting. The NBA won’t come out and bluntly say that their male refs are dramatically outperforming their female refs, but selection reveals the truth. The broader question then is: Why?