Scrimmage season blues
 

We're beginning the second week of scrimmage season in the great state of South Carolina, where it is considered our "volunteer duty to the schools" to work scrimmages for free.

Our assigner told us that we are to treat scrimmages like real games in terms of penalizing unsporting behavior from coaches–in other words, we can't pack up and leave if a coach is being a jerk. We're supposed to just T and eject if necessary and write a report.

Ah, catering to the schools' desires without any compensation. Gotta love this time of year.

Is this the public schools or the private schools?

This is the SCHSL, so mostly public schools. My district is all public schools.

SCISA officials aren't paid for scrimmages either, I don't think. I'm not sure what directives they're given.

I'm thankful that we don't work scrimmages for free.

I had to turn back my 2 scrimmages last week as there were some family health issues this past week. They would've paid me 150% of the usual varsity pay each. Looks like I'll start my season with a game this year.

3966, someone in my district said that if we walk out of scrimmages because of coaches misbehaving, "you've allowed the coach to win" and "it's not fair to the kids." :rolleyes:

Working scrimmages for free isn't "fair to the officials."

If they want officials, they should pay market rates for them.

We work them for free. The schools pay a nominal fee to the association for them to provide officials but that total is given to a local charity to provide "Santa" to children in low income families.

I have absolutely no problem with that arrangement.

There is an expectation for us to do scrimmages for free for the most part. This is not a blanket policy or even something we have to accept across the board. If you do not want to work a scrimmage for free, you do not accept the scrimmage in the first place (Arbiter is used for the most part). And scrimmages here are also not even remotely real in nature. They only involve the one school at their gym and often we might bring many officials to rotate in and out to work the scrimmage. Also there are multiple levels so we might run 2 person in one situation and then 3 officials in another. So to pay all the officials is usually unrealistic and would be inappropriate. But many scrimmages I have been paid as the veteran and we might bring along a newer or younger official to the scrimmage where they pay is additional experience.

Again, if you do not like the terms, stay home. If you want to learn something or get some experience, come out. Many times we have running clock situations and it is a glorified practice. And sometimes we are paid more than half of an actual game fee.

We also do not T up coaches or players like we would during the regular season as the "games" are very laid back and not even that contentious other than between the players. If anything we tell the coaches their players might get in some kind of trouble if that is how they behave, but we are not T'ing up players or coaches and I cannot think of any situation we actually had to unless we were doing it simply for a laugh.
Peace

Scrimnmages ...
 

We never got paid for scrimmages until a few years ago.

Before that we volunteered (we were not assigned) so we could pick and chose the scrimmages that we wanted to work, for example, schools close to home, or work, or coaches we knew from outside officiating. Occasionally we would get a twenty dollar bill, or a T-shirt, or a grinder, or a slice of pizza. Some guys didn't like working for free, so those of us that wanted to get in some practice before the season were able to get as many scrimmages as we wanted to work. One year I worked eight scrimmages. I liked working for free. I got a lot of scrimmages, never had to travel very far, and our local board earned lot of good will from principals, athletic directors, and coaches.

For some reason, basketball had no problem getting scrimmage officials throughout the state, but other sports like field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer had problems getting enough interested officials. So our state high school interscholastic sports governing body decided that all officials, for all sports, would get paid for scrimmages, and that scrimmages would be assigned as any other game assignment. For basketball, three officials are assigned, and rotate in as a two person crew (almost all of our games are two person games), and get paid $50.00 each, for covering six periods (maximum two hours).

Now everybody gets assigned scrimmages, and there aren't a lot of them to go around. One year I only got one scrimmage assignment, and had to travel halfway across the state, certainly not enough court time to get ready for my high school varsity schedule.

Bottom line, I preferred volunteering for free scrimmages.

I wouldn't have a problem with this either, but this isn't the case in SC. Working scrimmages for free is simply a requirement to get full credit with the ratings system, and again, the state thinks it's our "duty to the schools."

We don't have the option of not working scrimmages that we are assigned to, unless we want our schedule or rating to suffer. At least in my district, scrimmages are not assigned through Arbiter, so the option of declining them is not there (and wouldn't be a good idea anyway for the sake of rating points and reputation with the assigner).

I do not have a problem working scrimmages for free, however, I expect to have the backing to take care of business. I have a problem with the state and assigner expecting us to cater to the schools.

That sounds like a system issue. But we are independent contractors (At least we are in my state) and if that is the case you should be able to decline any assignment unless they want to deal with a lawsuit potentially. Then again you said it has a ratings component and not doing so has consequences and you can decline such assignment.

Peace

Jeff, don't know if you remember this or not, but you and I worked a scrimmage together with a couple other guys that was actually my first high school officiating experience of any kind. I believe you guys got paid, but I worked for free, though you all did take out me for pizza afterward.

They even stuck me in as part of the three-man portion of the night. While it was only my first scrimmage, I learned a ton from the three veterans I worked with. Rut is right, this is invaluable experience for a young or new official.

In my area of Missouri, we used to have a summer camp that we were required to attend for the assn. no pay and it was a cattle call, just go and work games. I always wished it would have been a teaching moment with veterans counseling new guys, but it never was. If you didn't attend two sessions (approx 8 hours) you got an assn fine. Now, the got rid of it and raised assn yearly dues instead. Oh well.

MSHSAA now allows preseason jamborees for all sports. Assigned via the assn's and paid, though not much. It is a good way to get in the mood for the season but it is not near enough work to get you ready for a season, no matter the sport.


I wish I had a cool signature

I've got two scrimmages this week, with one being a varsity scrimmage. It'll be my first three man experience in a non-clinic setting. I'm looking forward to it.

I do remember this very well. I also remember that we asked you to come along as we had been doing that scrimmage for years and were going to work with or without you. And yes I got paid and have no problem giving back to those when that happens. You probably got more out of that then if you paid to work a clinic to be evaluated. I did the same thing when I started, I tagged along. I learned a lot as well in those times.

We work them for free. No scrimmage; no post season.

In central Ohio, it is pretty much standard that scheduled scrimmages are at half pay, with the vast majority getting contracts and everything, just like regular season games (just at half pay).

There was a 12 team, 3 hour scrimmage that I did this weekend for free - but it was run as a clinic (no pay but no cost for attendees either), with observers and everything. Overall, I got more out of that setup than a regular scrimmage, but that's the exception.

In our part of Virginia, we work scrimmages for free, both public and private school. We also have a summer camp or two (refs work for free, association gets a token payment), where it would be great to make that a "teaching camp" with veterans evaluating newer officials. However, the commissioner usually has a hard time just getting enough bodies to fill the spots, much less have extra officials around to watch.

Sorry, but there is not a chance in hell I am working a game or scrimmage for free. I do not officiate just for the money, but my time, especially my time away from my family is worth something. If the school cannot afford to pay for officials to work their scrimmages, then they do not need to have them, or they can have the coaches or a parent volunteer to officiate the game. I am not sure about Jeff R's experience, but we are from the same general area, and I have never been asked to work a scrimmage for free by any assignor, nor have I been subject to any repercussions for refusing to work a scrimmage when the fee is lower than I was willing to accept.

My two scrimmages this week are listed on Arbiter as being the full rate. Won't know for sure though until I get the check. Two different conferences, too.

I have rarely if ever been asked to work for free either, but you do not always find that out until you do the game if and how you are paid. I have ever worked scrimmages for HB at the college level only to not be paid or offered to pay until we asked. It is not always stated up front. I used to never ask either, not expecting to get paid but now being paid is more common.

Peace

I have two scrimmages this weekend too and it has only been stated for sure that I will be paid for one of them at this point. I will also have to get there and find out.

Peace

I don't blame you for that opinion, but apparently you have the luxury of mandatory unpaid scrimmages not being a condition of your season assignment eligibility.

I may be an independent contractor, but my broker tells me I need to work a couple of freebies every November. So I do.


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You're a college official and have never worked a scrimmage for free?

Nope. I have done D1 scrimmages for a ridiculously low fee, trading money for experience, but I have never done a game for free. Even the small colleges (D3, NAIA, Juco) have paid something. Word gets around very fast what schools pay for their scrimmages and how long they want you to be there. If I don't know, I always ask before I accept the game and I wont go if the money offered is below what I am willing to work for. The assignors I work for don't do anything for free, and they don't expect us to work for free either. If the school isn't willing to pay, they make the game available to their staff, but they do not force anyone to accept it.

Worked the first of my two scrimmages tonight. They played a full game, stopping a few times to set up specific plays they wanted to run, etc.

They had us talk to the kids for a few minutes before we started about the POE, uniform rules, etc.

Wondering how, if at all, my varsity scrimmage will be different on Friday (tonight was sophomores).

And this is why I have made a point to avoid the larger of the two associations in SW Missouri.

As for working college scrimmages for free, I will generally do one every October or early November ... but at a school of my choosing. It's easier for me to agree to work for no pay if I respect the coach and their program. If a coach is a constant PIA during the season and just screams at his/her players expecting magical results without doing any actual "coaching," I ignore their requests for pro bono preseason work.

Our state mandated "mechanics meeting" is conducted with classroom instruction and a freebie scrimmage
The set-up is two freshman and two varsity teams placed in two separate gymnasia at one high school. The clock is running for 5 minutes--which goes by really fast. Each crew of refs works 2 x 5 min periods and is critiqued by 'veteran refs' after the conclusion of each of your first and second 5 min periods {ostensibly to see if you can implement the critique they gave you after the first 5 min session}. You would then sign a "participation card" that is turnt into the State for proof of attendance. The cost to an individual ref is "time and gas"; the benefits are better mechanics and visibility. No pay is given, but they did have Gatorade in big ole ice chest for us.

This must take forever! How many people are in your board/association?

Or is the scrimmage optional?

I'm not saying this is a bad idea at all (in fact, something in this form is probably needed everywhere); just seems it would take a LONG time if every member were required to participate.