Quote:
Originally Posted by ref2coach
Have you ever heard of a "unilateral contract"? A unilateral contract is where one party has all the power. They are illegal in insurance and some other industries.
TSSAA requires referees belong to a local association, require the schools to use an association to supply referees, assign +/or approve the schools serviced by each association. TSSAA appoints the assigning officer and supervisor of each association.
Any referee who turns down a game that was assigned on an unblocked date in our association has 3 other assignments removed. So no, short of not refereeing High School at all there is no "two parties to a contract" freedom in TN.
In the past a significant portion of an association attempted to start a new association to advocate for better pay and mileage compensation. TSSAA simply refused to sanction their elected assignor and supervisor and reminded the schools that if they used referees from an unsanctioned association that they would have to forfeit their games.
Would I rather get paid $80 and get some exercise and enjoy being around the game? Yes I would. Is there any sibilance of "independent contract" or free market principle in the "unilateral" nature of TSSAA policies? NO.
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The policies in TN are, IMO, onerous. As an official you belong to an association (and I believe only one). They alone decide what games you work. The association I was in set all policies like the one where someone who works varsity games is not allowed to take games assigned by the association (and they assign all of them) at other levels.
When I was promoted to varsity ball there, I saw my number of dates drop from 4 a week to 2 a week and even when there were MS dates to fill I could not work them unless they got so desparate that they *had* to fill them. There was no freedom of movement for officials unless you moved to another association, which (of course) had its own problems.
And anyone that knows me knows I don't give a flip about the money. My point is that they pay officials more to work one football game ($85)than 2 varsity basketball games ($80).