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Originally Posted by crosscountry55
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Here in Connecticut, we used to work scrimmages pretty-much for free (sometimes we got a slice of pizza, or a ham and cheese grinder, or a T-shirt, or ten dollars cash for gas and laundry).
We volunteered for these free scrimmages, with sign up sheets at our preseason meetings, or some schools directly contacted hometown (or alumni) officials. Scrimmages weren't assigned. We could work as many, or as few (even none) scrimmages as we wanted. We could work close to home if we wanted, or we could work where we haven't seen a coach for a while (to demonstrate our skills to that coach, note that coaches vote for state tournament officials here in Connecticut, some might call this ingratiating ourselves to said coaches).
This plan worked out great for basketball officials, nobody complained. Lots of goodwill between athletic directors, coaches, and officials. Basketball officials worked as many, or as few, scrimmages as they wanted, and as close to home, or as far away, as they wanted.
Then the CIAC, our state interscholastic sports governing body, got involved. Unlike basketball, several sports had difficulty getting free officials for scrimmages, especially field hockey and lacrosse.
So the CIAC mandated paid scrimmages in all sports. And they would be assigned by assigners, like regular season games, with Arbiter blocks, assignment fees, the whole nine yards.
Basketball scrimmage fees are set by the CIAC: $150 per scrimmage (3 officials $50 each, 2 officials $75 each). Because three person games are so rare in Connecticut, when three officials are sent (as they usually are) we usually work a two person game and rotate in every period. Assigned officials officiate a maximum six periods, or two hours per scrimmage. If a jamboree, or multiple-team, scrimmage is scheduled, then the fee structure must be agreed upon in advance with the assigner.
A few of our local guys actually liked the old way better, wanting to pick and chose partners, where, when, and how many scrimmages they wanted to work