Observation: Impediments to Moving Up

[pfan1981]

I wear my wedding ring so that someone in the crowd thinks, "Someone actually married that @$$hole!" Lol.

And so the hot moms know they are going to have to really impress me, haha. Totally kidding in the last one btw.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

The difference is that at the HS level assigners are looking for officials (not enough officials). At the college level, they are choosing officials (too many officials).

It's similar to the "all black shoes" argument. It doesn't affect how you call the game, but it might affect your ability to get a chance to call the game.

Exactly.

And if you live in a large area like we live, those slots are not as plentiful either when you consider the actual number of games compared to officials available. So those choices are also made the same way a college assignor will make with the same considerations for things like facial hair and things on your shoes.

I am sure Rich has a different demographic to choose from than a more populated area.

Peace

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Exactly.

And if you live in a large area like we live, those slots are not as plentiful either when you consider the actual number of games compared to officials available. So those choices are also made the same way a college assignor will make with the same considerations for things like facial hair and things on your shoes.

I am sure Rich has a different demographic to choose from than a more populated area.

Peace

I assign officials from three metropolitan areas. I have 348 varsity games to fill this year and the number will be going up.

My criteria wouldn't change based on suddenly having twice as many people to choose from -- mainly, cause I think some of these criteria are complete bullcrap.

Playcalling, communication, and game management, in that order. Nobody gets extra points for being from a certain demographic, being clean shaven or looking like an official on an officiating supply poster. As long as I'm doing the job, that won't change.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

I assign officials from three metropolitan areas. I have 348 varsity games to fill this year and the number will be going up.

My criteria wouldn't change based on suddenly having twice as many people to choose from -- mainly, cause I think some of these criteria are complete bullcrap.

Playcalling, communication, and game management, in that order. Nobody gets extra points for being from a certain demographic, being clean shaven or looking like an official on an officiating supply poster. As long as I'm doing the job, that won't change.

OK, but here those things would matter. And they matter to the schools, who ultimately are the ones that hire you as an assignor.

I know an assignor that had a league and when he only hired guys outside of the general area of the conference, they fired him and found someone else.

Peace

[Rich]

They matter only cause people (assigners or other officials) tell them they should matter.

I've never once had a coach comment on his own on facial hair, for example. I'm willing to bet it would never happen.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

They matter only cause people (assigners or other officials) tell them they should matter.

I've never once had a coach comment on his own on facial hair, for example. I'm willing to bet it would never happen.

Well that is actually not true in my experiences. Coaches know who the fat guys are and the guys who are not from their area.

I do not disagree that the main thing people should be concerned about are if you get plays right, but that is often not the case. I know that if we have a Chicago team verse a Rural area team, it is not unusual to hear a complaint by one of the participants if none of the officials are either from those areas or have never been seen before. That is not all on the officials, that is the paranoia of the participants. And that can be a problem even if the officials get everything right.

In the case of the assignor I referenced, I never heard the issue was the play calling ability of the officials. Actually he assigned many officials that were playoff guys, but he did not concern himself with the fact he had a rural area for many of his teams and they wanted to see "their guys" on some of their games, whatever that is supposed to mean.

Peace

[Freddy]

Has anyone detected a correlation between officials who don't particularly care how they conform to standards of uniform, appearance, and conditioning and officials who aren't particularly concerned about beneficial mechanics, good on-court habits, and "taking care of business" adequately before and after assignments?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Well that is actually not true in my experiences. Coaches know who the fat guys are and the guys who are not from their area.

I do not disagree that the main thing people should be concerned about are if you get plays right, but that is often not the case. I know that if we have a Chicago team verse a Rural area team, it is not unusual to hear a complaint by one of the participants if none of the officials are either from those areas or have never been seen before. That is not all on the officials, that is the paranoia of the participants. And that can be a problem even if the officials get everything right.

In the case of the assignor I referenced, I never heard the issue was the play calling ability of the officials. Actually he assigned many officials that were playoff guys, but he did not concern himself with the fact he had a rural area for many of his teams and they wanted to see "their guys" on some of their games, whatever that is supposed to mean.

Peace

With the exception of one coach who complained about everyone, I had two complaints about officials the entire 2014-15 season. 38 programs. Let that sink in.

It's HS basketball.

People need to realize this is HS basketball, not a smaller scale version of D1 basketball. I take my assigning seriously, but I'm serving the HS game.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Rich

...

People need to realize this is HS basketball, not a smaller scale version of D1 basketball. I take my assigning seriously, but I'm serving the HS game.

People who? It's assignors who are imposing these standards, not officials. So your statement and derision needs to be towards your fellow assignors and not those of us who are doing what we need to do to keep getting games.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

With the exception of one coach who complained about everyone, I had two complaints about officials the entire 2014-15 season. 38 programs. Let that sink in.

It's HS basketball.

People need to realize this is HS basketball, not a smaller scale version of D1 basketball. I take my assigning seriously, but I'm serving the HS game.

OK, but what does that have anything to do with what we are talking about? It is likely that HS basketball in your area does not care about those things. But they care about all kinds of off the court things here.

HS basketball is not void of worrying about things like how an official looks or if they can keep up or if the officials are used to working bigger schools (Usually city and suburban schools) compared to smaller schools (Usually rural and smaller and less ethnic areas).

And I can tell you the top guy that went to the University of Wisconsin (Madison) came from the suburbs of Chicago (Lisle, IL) and the assignor to his conference very much considered who worked that conference based off of all the things we talked about. If he didn't, he would not have a job, considering that the league was a private school league of Catholic schools and often played teams from the city in non-conference shootouts where teams from the suburban area played city teams. The demographic of the officials right or wrong mattered to those schools and those situations.

Peace

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

People who? It's assignors who are imposing these standards, not officials. So your statement and derision needs to be towards your fellow assignors and not those of us who are doing what we need to do to keep getting games.

And those are the standards that others set for their professions in other aspects of society. There are jobs that do not allow facial hair or certain grooming styles. Officiating is not unique in this area.

Peace

[johnny d]

Originally Posted by Rich

With the exception of one coach who complained about everyone, I had two complaints about officials the entire 2014-15 season. 38 programs. Let that sink in.

It's HS basketball.

People need to realize this is HS basketball, not a smaller scale version of D1 basketball. I take my assigning seriously, but I'm serving the HS game.

Two complaints the entire season. Assignors around here get more than that every night there are games.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by johnny d

Two complaints the entire season. Assignors around here get more than that every night there are games.

I have heard assignors actually talk about the things they hear from schools and those situations often have nothing to do with play calling.

Peace

[Rich]

Originally Posted by johnny d

Two complaints the entire season. Assignors around here get more than that every night there are games.

Some assigners act as though their jobs are always hanging by a thread. If that's the case, why have the job?

I am a firm believer that a coach needs to pick his spots. The one coach that complained every game? The coach that NEVER complains and calls me almost sheepishly -- who do you think I listened to more closely?

Basketball is only a small part of what I do for our group of schools, after all.

When I get a complaint in any sport, I ask for the film, by the way. Without me seeing what they're complaining about on film, how do I know if they have a point or not?

[deecee]

Originally Posted by Rich

Some assigners act as though their jobs are always hanging by a thread. If that's the case, why have the job?

I am a firm believer that a coach needs to pick his spots. The one coach that complained every game? The coach that NEVER complains and calls me almost sheepishly -- who do you think I listened to more closely?

Basketball is only a small part of what I do for our group of schools, after all.

When I get a complaint in any sport, I ask for the film, by the way. Without me seeing what they're complaining about on film, how do I know if they have a point or not?

Great assignor. I would like to work for you. Not that my current assignor isn't any good. I actually like him a lot. Well I have 3. 2 out of 3 aint bad.