Violet Palmer was the first female in history to officiate at the NBA and WNBA levels. Palmer broke the ice for females on April 25, 2006 when the Pacers and the Nets played each other in the season opener. Palmer had been officiating in other levels of competition prior to the NBA for 17 years. She had also competed in NCAA Division II basketball at Cal-Poly Pomona where her team won 2 division titles. Palmer's goal as an official was to go unnoticed. "Making the remarkable seem unremarkable is a definite point of pride," said Palmer when interviewed by Johnette Howard. Throughout her years of officiating Violet had dealt with multiple kinds of sexism from comments to threats. One comment specifically stood out to her throughout her career which came from a broadcaster of one of her games. The broadcaster commented that she should "get back in the kitchen and cook him some eggs." Strong-hearted and for the love of the game, Violet Palmer continued to officiate at professional games and eventually earned her way into the Hall of Fame. Violet has since been an inspiration for other females and continues to prove that women can handle anything thrown at them. (Howard)
Shannon Eastin made history in 2012 becoming the first female official to be in the NFL. She was a line judge for the San Diego Chargers versus Green Bay Packers game. Eastin had cameras following her since she showed up to the field until she left after the game. Prior to joining the NFL, Shannon had 16 years of collegiate football under her belt (Murphy). In her younger days she always wanted to participate in football but her mother never allowed it. Not being able to join football she mastered the art of judo instead, which may have helped with her future officiating. “I’m excited. Every step is hope that I can continue to show it really doesn’t matter male or female, as long as you work hard,”. Eastin was more than prepared for her difficult task; dealing with players a foot taller than her and 200 pounds heavier, and the criticism she would get for being female (O'Brien). She accepted the fact that she was in a man's world but what kept her going was telling herself that she knew the rules and the drive to prove her critics wrong.
Together both Palmer and Eastin have more than paved the way for future female officials. Together they have dealt with criticism that would usually make somebody quit their job the next day. They are the starting point to prove that it doesn't matter if a male or female is wearing the stripes, as long as the job gets done. It takes more than just the fan of a game to run it, it takes someone with passion, understanding, and the knowledge to do it. If a female fits the shoes, then let her wear them. Since Palmer's and Eastin's ice-breaking, more females have begun to wear the stripes and continue to prove themselves as worthy officials.