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Good to know. I was under the impression that R's and U1's are usually the senior guys, with U2's being the junior officials. Thus, R and U1 would perform the heavy lifting when it comes to game management. U2 would be responsible for knowing the rules and making proper calls/corrections on correctable errors. By rule, R has responsibility for the official timer, official (and additional) scorers, shot clock operator, and making the final ruling if officials cannot agree on a call. Other than the responsibilities described in the mechanics manual, what game management responsibilities do U1 and U2 have? Once the game begins, all officials have the same responsibilities for calling fouls and violations, administering timeouts and substitutions, and correcting timing, scoring, and alternating possession errors.
The good ol' boys network would be a major problem, because it prevents talented younger (and older officials) from getting the experience that they need to become the go-to varsity veteran and crew chief officials in the next ~10 years when the current veterans retire. When I meet officials doing other sports, I talk to them, ask them about officiating experience, and offer myself as a resource, also giving them other relevant contacts. If each official can get other people involved, that would help with the shortage, but then there would need to be a way to keep the new officials engaged, so they continue.
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