sports

Three Generations of Ohio Referees Officiate Same Game

In a rare family moment, Bill Cain, Jr., Bill Cain III and Bill Cain IV all officiated the same Ohio basketball game, continuing a legacy of three generations.

The Cain family—grandfather, father and son—took the court together, each wearing a whistle and a badge that had been passed down through decades. Their shared experience was a testament to a tradition learned not from manuals but from time spent on the sidelines.

For the Cains, officiating is about staying connected to the game and each other, not the paycheck. "It was the most important game I ever did," said Bill Cain Jr., reflecting on the emotional impact of the family’s joint effort.