[Nevadaref]

Having started with an IAABO board and not working for one now, I have seen both sides of this. I can say that in the DC area, basketball officiating is done in a very competitive environment. Not only do the individual officials compete for games, but the local IAABO boards compete with other local associations of officials for contracts with the different high school leagues. One example is the Catholic league which includes DeMatha.
In order to get and/or keep these contracts the associations strive to provide the best service to these schools. Therefore, they recruit, train, and attempt to retain quality officials. This is all done to show the schools that a certain organization is better than others and should be chosen to provide their required service.

Now if these officials took what they learned and the experience they gained with a certain association and then went to work for someone else they would raise the quality of this other group while simultaneously lowering the quality of the former one. Enough of these defections and suddenly a strong competing organization exists and the risk of losing contracts becomes very real.
IAABO is simply trying to hold down competition. This is no different than what is done in other form of business. One may not agree with this tactic, but let's not forget that the world of sports officiating is afterall a business and officials form associations, just as dock workers form unions, in order to have the necessary leverage to negotiate contracts and game fees. Obviously, the highest fees would be acheived if a group eliminated all competition. So this is what IAABO is striving for. When one views the situation this way it makes perfect sense.

Of course, in order for this idea to work the group must avoid inner turmoil. Those in power must see to this. For as we all know, when officials don't get the schedule that they want or believe they deserve, they become upset. If enough officials become dissatisfied and cannot fix the situation from within, through elections or talks, they may bolt and suddenly we have competition again.