1921: According to Referee Magazine, Lloyd W. Olds was a referee for college and high school football games. After one confusing game where he happened to be wearing all-white, which was one of the team's colors as well, Olds was mistakenly tackled. To end that confusion, he had a friend craft the now-iconic black and white stripes, which have gone on to become a tradition for many referees across many different sports.