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George H. Hoyt (August 9, 1883 – November 11, 1962) was abasketball referee. He was nicknamed "Mr. Basketball" inNew England, having officiated games in the region for 34 years. He often officiated two games a day at both thehigh school andcollege level. Hoyt was a proponent of developing a uniform set of rules and procedures, and wroteThe Theory and Practice of Basketball Officiating, atextbook discussing many refereeing distinctions, including the difference between Eastern and Western referees.
Hoyt was born on August 9, 1883, inBoston. After years of officiating bothhigh school andcollege games, he was inducted into theBasketball Hall of Fame as areferee in 1961.[1] He was an early proponent of the more open style of play that later became common inbasketball, creating rules to discourage defensive holding and free up offensive players. He helped found the Eastern Massachusetts Board of Approved Basketball Officials and served as its president for two years. While serving as Chief of Officials for the Eastern Massachusetts High School Basketball Tournament (becoming Honorary Chief Official on retirement), he helped establish the New England Interscholastic Basketball Tournament. Hoyt died on November 11, 1962.[2]
