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Old Fri Mar 02, 2018, 01:28pm
Pantherdreams Pantherdreams is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NB/PEI, Canada
Posts: 788
VIA my experience and mistakes and conversations I have with substantially higher level officials than me.

1. It is more important to be consistent with your crew and the expectation of your assignor/conference/etc then it is to be right. You want to make the correct calls, but which correct calls to make, let go, and how the game should be managed needs to be a direct reflection of your management. Once you are so good you can be a cowboy that everyone tolerates because they are so good do what you want, until then following the law of the land is more important than how you see the game (if they conflict).

2. Only officials and losing coaches/fans care about violations. Make the right calls when it comes to travels, and clear violations but if any violation is your best call or what you are known for then it probably won't translate to upward mobility.

3. Coaches/Conferences/Assignors etc all need to know you can manage different styles of games different ways. If you can get all the calls you need to get in a slow grind em out game, and do the same in a wide open emotional train wreck without trying to let/turn one into the other that will go a long way.

4. Working levels and games with high level (D1 and Potentially Pro) athletes even when they are just young in high school or junior high. Is still a different animal than a regular high school or middle school game. You have to call the game in front of you but can't punish the best player(s) on the floor for being able to do or live with more than the other kids on the planet.

5. You can be concerned about sportsmanship and the integrity of the game as it applies to your job of officiating the game in front of you. If you want to impose your expectations in a blow out, or how coaches interact with their athletes, or style of play etc. You can in good conscience do that, but its not what assignors want their big time officials in big games doing.

6. Must be willing to accept that balls and strikes are important but so is appearance, how you move, how you communicate. Being unapproachable, sloppy mechanically, physically not meeting standards or visible expectations will be just a damning as not knowing rules/calling a game poorly when it comes to upward mobility beyond high school.

7. You have to call a good game. Not perfect and not your best everynight, but your floor as an official still needs to be where most of your peers ceiling would be night and night out.
__________________
Coach: Hey ref I'll make sure you can get out of here right after the game!

Me: Thanks, but why the big rush.

Coach: Oh I thought you must have a big date . . .we're not the only ones your planning on F$%&ing tonite are we!
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