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Originally Posted by eyezen
JR, it's quite possible that today the mechanic differences between IAABO and the FED are minuscule and might seem redundant to those outside of IAABO land.
However I conjecture that is was not always this way. I believe that IAABO as an organization of some sort has been around for some time, I believe 1923 or so. It's primary goal is to establish consistency from area to area as it also relates to basketball mechanics. Most of us can agree that is a good thing.
We've all talked about from time to time how "back in the day" things were a crap shoot mechanically. I doubt that the FED was always so organized when it came to officials mechanics, however in this day and age with technology and information being instantaneous has made it much easier for the FED to standardize "their" mechanics and get that standardization out to local official's associations and as such another organization that would try to start up today to duplicate what IAABO is and does wouldn't make any sense.
However, IAABO's historical standing in the officiating community allows it to continue to be an effective educational element in today's officiating world.
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I was a member of IAABO back in the day. Back in the day when you had to be an official for 5 years and have someone recommend you also before you could join an IAABO board. Back in the day when I had to drive 60 miles to write a proctored IAABO exam and get 88% on it to be eligible to join. Back in the day when writing and passing that exam was mandatory every year to remain an IAABO member. Back in the day when you really had to work at officiating to become an IAABO member. Iow, I really don't think that I need you to tell me anything about IAABO history. I was an IAABO member for 25 or so years, starting out in the mid-60's.
Back in the day, we never had a standard mechanics manual. We were issued bulletins, etc. from the NFHS. The NFHS then developed and issued an officials manual. They did so with the goal of establishing consistency from state to state in all facets of basketball officiating, a goal that you somehow transfered above to IAABO. IAABO had absolutely nothing to do with the writing and issuance of that manual
afaik; the IAABO manual came much later and is basically a re-write of the standard FED manual. It is true that some IAABO members helped with the mechanics standardization, but they did not do so under the guidance or leadership of IAABO. They did so as informed and very competent individuals. To infer that IAABO was a leader when it came to the development of mechanics though is ludicrous. I know different. I was there- back in the day. And btw, yes, the IAABO mechanics manual is completely redundant imo. I suspect that it is issued solely with the idea of making money for IAABO.
I gave up my IAABO membership when IAABO became irrelevant to me personally and there was no longer any real benefit in remaining a member. It's an officials organization, no different than many existing state associations. It's also no better or worse at doing it's job than most state associations. It follows the NFHS lead, not vice-versa. The only prerequisite to join IAABO now is the ability to cloud a mirror.
I have absolutely nothing against IAABO either. It does a fine job for it's members in the few places where it is recognized as a state governing body, mainly in the north-east USA. In most of the country though, and to most of the country, IAABO is irrelevant. It's goals are certainly laudatory also, but they are not inclusive as solely being IAABO goals. IAABO includes many distinguished officials as members who have contributed greatly to officiating knowledge. That's a fact. I do have a problem with people that think that IAABO(or NASO/Referee mag) has anything official at all to do with NFHS rules or mechanics. They don't. They can issue their own
opinions, but that doesn't mean that any of their
opinions are valid or germane, except in a case where they actually might be working as a state governing body. And even in those cases, they are not allowed to change or over-rule any previous FED rulings. IAABO is an aid, not a source.
I asked some specific questions about IAABO above in this thread. I failed to receive answers that were relevant in any way to the questions that I asked. That's telling as far as I'm concerned, but I'm not going to get into a flame war about it.