I don't do adults. I'm talking kids, myself.

I worked 3 6th grade games on Saturday for $35 each about 6 miles from the house. Total commitment including driving? Less than 4 hours.

*Sweet deal you have going on there; however, the rest of us must contend with considerably less of a game fee and more of a headache.
Do you encounter the same level of angst if it is women's wreck league games?

You must not. Don't work them.

Don't work adults, period.

*That is the advice that I have heard both assignors and association board members say at our meetings--they strongly advise us to: "stay away from those wreck men's league games cause you can only deteriorate your mechanics--not all money is good money" is what they often tell us.
Yet, I must confess that getting paid on the spot @ $25/game for a 3 game set that I am consciously manipulating [OK I confess it!] by having them shoot lots of FTs early and often is well...
I have observed that the approximate time it takes to administer FT's (either 1 and 1 or 2 shots) is about 45 seconds, inclusive of allowing for subs to come in, then me pausing to bend over and re-tying my shoelaces adds another 10 seconds--all while clock is running.

Rich, what part of WI are you in? I'm in a highly populated metro area and I've never seen over $25 for any AAU/kids rec league.

Madison area.

Most pay $25. When the solicitation came out for $35 cash, I was all over it.

Pay more and a wider group of people are interested.

I decided not to get the headaches for the money being offered (adult and kids) locally. I might run some to loosen up after a break, but that's about it.

*ahhh OK, so you have for the most part sworn them off altogether, .

When you have no support from your assignor, it's time to move on. Now.

"Sworn off?" Probably not that drastic, because if the pay goes up (it's woeful around here for that kind of ball) I'll reconsider.

I'm one of the few officials in my association that works wreck league games. I do it for a couple reasons -- but mainly just paid cardio.

Monday night I had 3 games. The final game of the night included a team who I never seem to see eye to eye with. I tried REAL HARD to make it through the game without whacking anyone. But they forced my hand. With about 4 seconds left in a 2 point game. One of their more volatile players went nuts from the bench after already having fouled out. WHACK! Of course I was accused of "giving them(the other team) the game." Not my fault that a 20-something year old kid still can't control his temper, even when his own father, who was also playing on that team, was trying to calm son down and telling him he needed to stop.

I happened to be working that game with the guy who does the assigning. He's not even a certified official, but I digress. I have to admit that I wondered a bit if I'd be invited back the following week. He never seems to say much about the Ts that I call. Anyhow, I got a text from him yesterday afternoon asking me to work 3 nights of the tournament next week. Due to some HS Games and another conflict, I could only give him one.

I've determined that if I just go out there and do my thing, knowing that most of these clowns don't know what they're talking about anyway when they are arguing about calls, that everything will take care of itself. And it does.

I'll work a couple nights of college pro-am in the summer but that's it. It's well run and all the officials are high school and/or college officials that are good to work with, so there aren't usually any problems. It's fairly laid back too so no one gets all that worked up.

No way I'd do men's wreck league, no matter the pay. Probably wouldn't do kids games either unless the pay was just too good to pass up and I had nothing else to do. I would rather work summer baseball in the hot weather than run up and down a basketball court for 4-5 hours.

Just wanted to update with coordinators response to me. Pretty proud of my ratio of technicals. I told him the only way I'd consider coming back is if they start charging immediate fine and he sent an email to players saying enough is enough. Enjoy!

Below are the rules for player and team technicals. I emailed the manager of CIB this morning to inform him that the one player who received two technicals last night was not eligible for the first tournament game. I know you would like a fee assessed when a technical is called. I have not heard of that rule and know other metro departments do not have that rule in place. The issue with that particular rule would be collecting the money and/or teams not willing to pay it. If a team refuses to pay it, you then make them forfeit which negatively impacts the opposing team by not giving them their guaranteed game or by calling the game early.

6. If a player is tagged with one (1) technical foul in one game, that player will have to sit out one (1) minute of game time (after all technical fouls are shot) before returning to the game, including any overtime game. *Exception - dunking the ball.
7. Two (2) technical fouls in one (1) game and the player is out of that game and the next game as well.
8. Should a player accumulate four (4) technical fouls over any part of a season, they will be given a two (2) game suspension. Should a fifth (5th) technical be received after the player returns, the player will be suspended for the remainder of the current basketball season.
9. Should a team accumulate three (3) technical fouls in one (1) game, the team shall forfeit that game if they win. If a team loses, or is losing at the time, the score will remain.
10. Should a team accumulate seven (7) technical fouls over any part of a season, the team will be removed from the league at the Department's discretion.

In 240 games this season, 39 technicals have been called (16 of them by you). Of the 39 total technicals, three of those were for dunking and one for calling a time-out when they didn't have one. If you don't count the four technicals that I just listed, that averages out to one technical every sixth game. I'd like to see that number lower too but don't consider that to be substantially high or to deem all the leagues "out of control".

If you would like to discuss this further I'd be happy to meet with you, if not I understand. I'll get your final shift covered for this Sunday. I appreciate your time and doing your best job the last two seasons.

Is it common for a men's wreck league to not allow dunking? Or is that referring to hanging on the rim, etc.

The games are played at elementary schools so I think they want to save wear and tear on the rims.