Diehl says he must be lax about a partner's lapses, "you're not supposed to steal calls from a partner. That's a cardinal sin. It's a thing where you get upset but its something you keep to yourself."

As for the occasional blooper to which every man who has ever donned the pinstripes falls prey, Hannon ruefully explains "sometimes while blowing the whistle I'd like to eat it. You know it's wrong but you try not to let them know it. All you can do is say "oh, oh, now I've got a selling proposition."

Diehl is more matter of fact. "It bothers you," he says. "But I feel it's so long since I made one."

The common belief that the homecourt advantage sways officials because they are loath to rile the clambering multitude has little credibility with either Hannon or Diehl. "It doesn't bother me" says Hannon, "if you make the call right away, at least you're calling what you're seeing. You're like a salesman out there and you've got to make the two teams assured of what you're doing."

Diehl sums up his gutty brand of no-holds-barred officiating when he says "I think most officials have suicidal tendencies anyway. If a foul's there, it's there."

Diehl is referee nonpareil while combing a puckish candor and scholarly insight into the game. He is supervisor of officials for all of New England and has served on the board of directors and as president of the Collegiate Basketball Officials Association (CBOA).

The CBOA presents the prestigious Samuel Schoenfeld award to the college coach who displays the greatest sportsmanship on the bench, so that officials are conscious of coaches' demeanors.

Harvard's former coach Floyd Wilson was twice presented with the Schoenfeld and current mentor Tom "Satch" Sanders was similarly honored in his first year at the Crimson's helm. Sanders says "it's not an award most coaches want to win." It means "you haven't given the referees a lot of heat."

High school referees are affiliated with an organization called IAABO, which as far as Diehl knows stands for "I am a blind official."

In his capacity as troubleshooter for the CBOA, Diehl controls a network that observes the more than 30 refs in the Boston locale in action. "When you're on the varisity list it's a great experience" says Hannon. "You know you're going to be tested. The story's acceptance."

Diehl remains a bachelor and is rooted to the Somerville neighborhood in which he grew up. Like Hannon, who is on the board of directors of the Cambridge YMCA, he is deeply committed to the welfare of the community, but bemoans Somerville's status as the nation's leader in car thefts.

He recounted a game he once worked that had the dubious distinction of lasting two days because of a leaky gym ceiling. The recollection was not an unfound one because the extra day prevented Diehl from attending a meeting of the Somerville Elks on the night the den was raided, the lodge leaders arrested, and the slot machine confiscated.

Diehl has never overseen a game he did not complete in over 20 years reffing. "You'd better not quit during a game," Hannon says, as backup officials are only provided for tournaments. Diehl obviously takes the injunction seriously. He once broke his ankle after stepping on a loose ball but went the route anyway.

Diehl started out in the game by playing on a Somerville High School quintet that won the state championship. He captained Northeastern's squad and after graduating turned in coaching stints at Huntington Prep and Christopher Columbus high schools.

Diehl's genuine concern for the down-trodden young extends further than his ties with mercuric collegiate pheenoms who may rise to the galactic reaches of the NBA. His regular profession is that of probation officer. He invariably works with 17 to 23 year olds, who are mainly drug offenders. "It's kind of like officiating" he muses. "We have our successes and we have our failures but its also like officiating because we only know about our failures." On the side, Diehl conducts a five class clinic at Somerville High every year to prep young men for the ECAC examination.