[BillyMac]

Here in our little corner of Connecticut, with almost all two-person games, varsity officials are "encouraged" to watch at least the second half of the junior varsity game that precedes the varsity game, and junior varsity officials are "encouraged" to stay for at least the first half of the varsity game that follows their game. The reason for this "encouragement" is that everybody at the site that night is expected to observe, evaluate, and rate the other three officials at the site, that is the varsity officials rate the junior varsity officials and their varsity partner, and the junior varsity officials rate the varsity officials and their junior varsity partner. In reality, most varsity officials usually show up for the entire junior varsity game, whereas some junior varsity officials are out the door immediately after their junior varsity game. But that's another story for another time.

During these overlap times there should be at least one extra official at the site to fill in for an injured official. About twenty-five years ago, I did my first varsity game when one of the officials in the varsity game that followed my junior varsity game for some reason did not show up for his varsity game. Two seasons ago, due to a scheduling error, no junior varsity officials were assigned to the game that preceded my varsity game, so I did the junior varsity game by myself, since my varsity partner didn't show up until late in the junior varsity game. That was a great payday since we get 150% fee for doing a game alone, so I got 150% of the junior varsity fee, and my entire varsity game fee, about $170. This past season, as I was watching a junior varsity game that preceded my varsity game, one of the junior varsity officials fainted in the first period. As he was being tended to, I quickly got dressed, and finished the last three periods of the junior varsity game with the non-injured junior varsity official.