Hackett has also worked to promote knowledge of refereeing via several publications. He published his own book, "Hackett's Law; a Referee's Notebook!" in 1986. And he continued to provide the answers for cult classic cartoon quiz You Are The Ref, drawn by sports artist Paul Trevillion, which he has done since the 1970s - originally for "Shoot" magazine, and then for The Observer newspaper. He co-authored a book with Trevillion celebrating 50 years of the strip in December 2006. And from August 2008, The Observer's collection of "You Are The Ref" strips appeared online at guardian.co.uk.