I work in a state where the schools hire officials for non-conference games and where league commissioners hire officials for conference games. There are officiating associations, but they have no game assigning function. Membership in an association is not mandatory and many officials do not belong to an association.
Last season I was working a girls varsity game -- a horrible game, by the way -- where the visiting coach came up to us at the table at halftime (they had cleared the table area, but he came back) and told me he had some nonconference games for next season we could have.
I told him to contact us later, that this wasn't the time. We finished the game.
Having a sneaking suspicion we were being worked, I decided to call him on it the next week. Since he HAD offered us games, he scheduled us for 2 of his nonconference girls games for this season.
As this season marched on, I dreaded the idea of working those two games. One, I had worked only 2-3 girls games all season, and I was really getting into the idea of working only boys basketball. Two, I knew exactly what kind of a coach, and man, this guy was, since it was obvious he was working us at the game last season.
First game came around, and fortunately, I had to be out of town on business. I gave the game to my (now) regular high school partner. When he arrived, the coach wondered aloud where I was and then claimed that I had "begged" him for those games. Of course, I had informed the AD weeks earlier, to the point where the reminder postcard went to my replacement, not me.
Saturday was game #2. I had no excuse, so I went and worked it.
It was the most brutal display of girls basketball I have ever seen. We called more than 10 fouls on the visiting team in the first quarter. All clear fouls taking advantage/disadvantage into account. At one point, the fouls were something like 10-1 in favor of the home team.
After I had called the first foul on the home team (after the first five were on the visiting team) the home coach was upset. It was a simple PC foul -- guard lowers her shoulder and tries to plow through a defender.
At this point, the coach turns to the AD (who was sitting right in front of my wife) and asked whether our contracts were renewed for the next season. She said no -- and he said don't bother, that we were terrible. She agreed with him and said, "They are bad." That was it, scratched, and still in the first quarter.
The game was close, but awful the entire way. About 10-15 double dribbles and travels and lots of fouls. Two player technicals, too, the first I've called all season.
At the end, the home team lost, mainly because of awful coaching. With 10.4 seconds left, the home team had the ball on the baseline in the backcourt (and could run the baseline) down two points. Both teams in double bonus. Coach burns ALL THREE of his remaining time outs at this point -- 2 fulls followed by a 30 -- and doesn't even put his team on the floor after the first full, just requests another.
Ball is brought up and there's a trap at halfcourt. Girl loses the ball -- hey, would've been nice to have a timeout there -- and the home team fouls the girl that comes up with the ball. She sinks the first to make it a 3 point game and misses the second. Home team gets the rebound -- a timeout would've been nice here too -- instead the player gets it to about halfcourt and heaves up a 35 footer with about 2 seconds left. Shower time.
We get to the car and on the way home I commented about how there's one school I will be happy to never work again.
My wife then tells me about the coach's comment to the AD and by the time I drop my partner off at my car I've chalked it up to our system and the coach and realize that the coach has done me a favor since I won't have to lie and tell him I'm booked on a night even if I'm not.
Maybe I'll just send him the URL to this
