2 person varsity crews this year

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by SC Official

I always think the idea of "we're independent contractors" is a bunch of hogwash, something that's only true in form and little in substance.

When I say that I am speaking from a state perspective. No one can require me or any officials to do anything. I can even give back games that I choose to not work. Now will that have other consequences? Sure. But when you say I must work on a Saturday or a Friday at a certain time, you have no right to tell me to do anything for many reasons. It is our internal goals or expectations that we do things we might not want to do. We have to just own that, but if you refuse what are they going to do to you?

Even as a college official, no one tells me what to make available. They ask for a reason early what we can do. If we leave few dates available, then the consequence might be we may not get many games, but they cannot make you do anything in the end. n varsity, if we ever got to that point.

And I can tell you that as a multiple sports official, the schools better make some changes or they might not have officials at all for certain games. Part of the shortage was on the schools, not even the assignors. Right now football everyone moved to Friday when there used to be Saturday games a lot. And the schools do not want to have schools open on Saturday. Well if they do not change that, they will not have games at all because they will not have anyone to do their games. Move the nights and the times, they will have plenty of officials available. Just because you do what always worked is not going to help the situation.

Peace

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

When I say that I am speaking from a state perspective.

Right, and my comment wasn’t intended to be directed at you. In states like yours and Rich’s where each conference hires its own assigner, I’m sure there is much more of an independent contractor “vibe,” versus states like mine and surrounding which have much different assigning structures that are more restrictive but the powers-that-be still claim that we are “independent contractors.”

Not at all saying I want to be classified as an employee of an assigner or state association, just saying that in many states, officials are treated more like employees than ICs with respect to the letter of the law despite what state associations call them.