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Originally Posted by Publius
I think (I don't KNOW) certification would provide better umpires. The flip side of the coin is there would be fewer of them. Many officials who see their schedules downgraded (due to their relative standing in a certification environment) would quit. I know I would. I don't think it would happen to me, but if at this point in my career the coaches and eavluators think I'm worse than 4 of 5 umpires they see (per the system below), either they'd be right and I'd need to quit, or they'd be wrong and I'd want to quit. Umpiring's fun, but not that fun.
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Certification standards are set by either the Contractor, the association or both. The risk has to be examined, that a percentage of sports officials will choose, for whatever reason, will not return to the work. This is true in any instance of requirements setting in the work place. There are several ways to weather that issue. Phased in requirements, heavy recruiting, higher pay (always must accompany requirements), grandfathering of named individuals (for a short and specific period). It is necessary to keep the numbers of officials at least at the level that exist.
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The masses are seldom in favor of merit pay. Even those that stand to benefit seem to prefer tranquility and egalitarianism over conflict and meritocracy.
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Yes, no doubt about that. It is the Contractors who have to demand the standards.
Case in point. A Contractor was in severe pain, his local officials organization was taking full advantage of their monopoly. A county owned park, the administrators had enough. A progressive advertising and recruiting campaign, free equipment, a number of similar efforts were organized, instituted and and enforced. The firts year was rough, three season in, they were swamped with umpires, wannabe umpires and a coaching-playing community who were proactive in the officials organization.