Is there a difference in the way those sports are "organized" in your area?

The farther out an assigner assigns, the more work s/he'll have to do twice (schedule changes /turnbacks).

The closer in an assigner assigns, the greater risk the the officials he wants will be busy.

Where the "sweet spot" is depends on the assigner and how many other assigners are working in the same area. For example, I think the three closest high schools to my house have three different boys assigners and three different girls assigners. The two closest colleges have different assigners. So I could work for eight different people and not travel more than about 4 miles each way.

In other areas, someone might work for only one assigner the entire season.

Unless they received a last minute assignment which happens to me at least once a year.

But I've never known college assignors to keep a HS crew together as a college crew. Of course, the concept of permanent crews is totally foreign around these parts

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I've not been a part of college basketball, but I did work college baseball the last 10 years. I'd simply tell my college assigner that I was already working. Then again, I didn't live for working college games, so I get that's probably just me.

I have other college officials -- they always find subs for themselves and offer those names to me when turning back dates. Around here, that's the polite thing to do. Especially if you wish to keep getting assignments.

Frankly, if I assign a college official 8 dates and they end up turning back 6 of them, I'm just better off not using that person at all. It's nothing personal, really.

I don't "live for college ball" and I hate that folks characterize good officials who strive to work a certain level with that negative connotation. I also do not live to be at the beck and call of any of my supervisors, and luckily I no longer have any supervisors who think an official should always be available no matter what. I work to be the best official I can be, and the benefits have been being hired by multiple supervisors to work college ball as well as having 2 HS supervisors who like having me work games for them.

Here assignors do not want officials volunteering names for replacement, some even get upset about it. Turn your game back as soon as you realize you need to do so, and the assignor will find the replacement.

Also, every supervisor I work for, 6 college/2 HS, allows officials to turn back games for higher level games without penalty or repercussion (college over HS; D3 and up over JuCo; D2 and up over D3; D1 over D2). They realize their better officials are the guys who are trying to move up and they have enough officials to fill slots. Also, 7 of my 8 supervisors work or have worked college ball in their careers and fully understand the concept of moving up, as they did it themselves. They only get upset when officials fail to close out their dates and then turn back games because "I forgot I had a previous commitment". That will cost officials games, and understandably so.

Don't get me wrong - I never hold back someone who wants to work at the next level. Unfortunately some think the "next level" includes a boys game over a girls game or a bigger HS conference than the one I assign.

All I'm saying is that if an official turns back 75% of his assignments because he's getting that many college dates, it becomes too much work for me, then. I can still use the person to pick up last minute stuff and changes on open nights, but I just won't put them on the schedule.

And here I want names of subs given to me -- although I reserve the right to use that sub or not. If I don't, then I'm on the hook to find a replacement.

Not My Cup Of Tea ...
 

Our local assignment commissioner gets $29,925.00 a season to assign regular season, and conference/league playoff games, for about seventy high schools; boys, and girls; varsity, junior varsity, freshman; and a few middle schools (assistant assignment commissioner gets an additional $2000.00 to assign scrimmages).

I don't think that I would do it for double the money, too many headaches trying to please athletic directors, and 320 officials. Rescheduled games, inclement weather, injured, or ill officials, turnbacks, Arbiter information not kept updated, availability issues (especially for late afternoon freshman, and middle school games), etc.

No thank you.

I've already got a full high school schedule for next year. I'll start getting contracts for 2017-18 around May of 2016

And that is probably the difference that drives the extreme early assigning.

Here, in Oregon, there is just 1 HS assignor per area. That is the way it is organized. A person can work for 2 or more but they will not be in the same metro area. A few work in adjacent towns.

There are not that many college assignors either. In the surrounding 100 miles, there are 2 f or men and 2 for women. With the much lower population density, there are simply fewer colleges to be assigned.

All of them, including the one I worked for assign in the fall for that season. They expect that if you have a HS game, you'll take their game over it. The HS assignor expects to lose officials to college assignments but also expects that he be notified as soon as you know about the college assignment.

All of them expect that if your calendar is open, you will take a game they offer you. If you have your calendar blocked, they don't expect you to take anything.

It would be absolutely impossible for me to work under that system. And it also causes super high percentage of turn backs by college officials who don't get their schedules until October/November of the impending season.

Rich,

Seems like such a headache to assign games so early. Around here for varsity they assign each month 1-2 months in advance. Never really been a problem and I've never swapped games. There are exceptions when an assigners work it out among themselves, "Can I borrow so and so for this varsity game; I have JV officials 1&2 I can give you."

How does that work? Officials can now be traded between associations/assignors?

You asked a question and answered it, not really sure what kind of answer you want. I can guess!

This situation happened to me so I'll use it.

On a Saturday we have high school games, men's league, YMCA kids who didn't make their team.

I blocked Saturday after getting assigned 5 nights in a row. YMCA assigner asked if I could work a couple games for him since he was having a hard time filling slots. "Sure"

Varsity official gets injured Friday night and the game starts early the next day. Head assigner calls the YMCA guy and asks if he can use me and he'll find him someone else. YMCA guy agrees.

I agree to swap, problem solved.

YMCA guy should have worked harder filling that slot he originally gave you since the HS guy was able to find someone to work YMCA.

Sounds those 2 assignors are part of the same association. Around here assignors assign games for their association. A rival association wouldn't know my schedule nor would they be able to utilize my services asking my assignor to loan me out.

They are part of an association and then also do their own stuff. So yeah, you're right.

Southern California:
Each association has a specific geographic area they are responsible for covering.Officials are allowed to cross associations by paying the appropriate fee and since everything here is done on Arbiter each assignor you work for can see your schedule