[JeffTheRef]

Originally posted by WinterWillie

This one touches a nerve. On a HS level in my association, we give an availability sheet to the assignor/scheduler in July for the basketball season which begins in December. The assignor/scheduler doesn't give us our schedule until the last week in November. If we turnback a game after receiving our schedule, we are fined $15. If we have to miss a game because of an emergency (car accident, death in the family, etc.), we have to pay the assignor/scheduler a game fee (Varsity HS $72.85). If the assignor/scheduler sends two crews to do one game, there is no compensation for the crew that doesn't work.
The assignor/scheduler does not have any liability for screwing up. The assignor/scheduler (in my association we call them commissioners because we have to pay them 7% of the game fee when we are assigned a game) makes about $45,000 for assigning games. The best schedule we could possibly get from
him would be 40-45 games on the varsity level (45 X $72.85),
you can do the numbers. The assignor/scheduler screws up alot in my association because he does everything by hand (he doesn't believe in computers) which only makes it worse.
My complaint is that there should be some type of penalty in place as an incentive for the assignor/scheduler to avoid these mistakes. As it is now, they hold all the cards. And, you know what happens if you complain.

You should have your assignor get in touch with me. I have developed, over 10 years, near perfect software for managing basketball seasons. It isn't a 'database'. It's a work-flow based system that understands that people get sick, games get moved, automatically generates relevant communications, and keeps a visual audit trail, so the assignor can see at a glance everything that's pending . . . he or she can email me at [email protected]