After three years of competition at a Virginia high school, a year in college competition and one year of coaching, Bill West began a 20-year officiating career, primarily at the high school level, in 1986. 

During his career, West officiated 12 Virginia AAA tournaments, three state prep school tournaments, two Virginia AA tournaments, 19 regional tournaments, and 20 district tournaments. He also worked more than 50 special invitational and open tournaments, comprised of eight to 30 teams each, and officiated 400 regular season dual matches at colleges, high schools, intermediate schools, military bases and youth clubs throughout Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. 

In addition to officiating, West also served as rules interpreter for two of the four regions for high schools in Virginia for 17 years. He determined and explained rule changes to coaches and other officials, specifically how rules would be called and emphasized. He also initiated and conducted an annual training program for new officials that included classroom instruction, preseason scrimmage work and performance reviews.

West served as treasurer of the Northern Virginia Wrestling Officials Association for most of his 20 years while also serving in other positions.

West and his partner, Nancy, are retired and live on Lake Gaston, located on the border of Virginia and North Carolina. Boating, fishing and an occasional glass of decent wine have replaced officiating wrestling and working. West notes that an occasional glass could be an understatement and decent could simply mean available.