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[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by SC Official

Rich is an assigner and official in one of those "18-24 month" states, I believe.

I don't get it, personally. Assigners are creating more work for themselves by giving games that far out because there certainly are a high number of turnbacks. It's unreasonable to expect an official to know what his/her availability will be on a specific date months/years in advance.

In my state there are many schools that probably don't even have their schedules finalized for the impending season. Getting varsity games 2-3 weeks out is the norm here, 1-2 weeks for subvarsity. I wouldn't want to get games much earlier than that; there are too many things that can change with respect to my availability.

When in Rome...

It is easy whenever Friday is a premium date for all officials (at least on with boys games). Everybody works on Friday for the most part at all levels. Tuesday is another boys typical game night. If you work girls basketball, you likely get a combination with the other dates. If you are a college official, you likely will not working high school games on Saturday for the most part.

So yes you do know what you are doing here when that is the standard. My goal as an official early in my career was to work a varsity boys game every Tuesday and Friday during the week. I get it that it is different, but not hard to deal with when those are things that have been done since I was in high school which was in the 80s and 90s.

The games for the coming season I started to receive almost 14 months in advance in some cases.

Peace

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

It is easy whenever Friday is a premium date for all officials (at least on with boys games). Everybody works on Friday for the most part at all levels. Tuesday is another boys typical game night. If you work girls basketball, you likely get a combination with the other dates. If you are a college official, you likely will not working high school games on Saturday for the most part.

So yes you do know what you are doing here when that is the standard. My goal as an official early in my career was to work a varsity boys game every Tuesday and Friday during the week. I get it that it is different, but not hard to deal with when those are things that have been done since I was in high school which was in the 80s and 90s.

The games for the coming season I started to receive almost 14 months in advance in some cases.

Peace

You’re completely ignoring conflicts that come up in one’s personal life that can’t be foreseen from so far out. Officiating high school basketball is not most people’s first priority.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by SC Official

You’re completely ignoring conflicts that come up in one’s personal life that can’t be foreseen from so far out. Officiating high school basketball is not most people’s first priority.

Hopefully, most assigners realize that and act appropriately when their officials encounter such conflicts. To do otherwise could lead to a loss of officials who want to "work" for them.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by SC Official

You’re completely ignoring conflicts that come up in one’s personal life that can’t be foreseen from so far out. Officiating high school basketball is not most people’s first priority.

We do not have this issue as you are making out to be. Again I know Fridays are a premium day to work basketball (and football). I tell people in my life, "I cannot do anything on Fridays and Saturdays until March." That pretty much holds up.

And everyone that has been doing this knows the days for their level during the week. I know Saturdays college assignors most of their staff to work (we get those months in advance as well). If you have a real conflict you either give back a game or you don't make yourself available. Most people that even have work issues know times and situations where they cannot work long before any game is assigned. They know that annual meeting or company trip they have to take. If it changes you address it when you know (assignors usually do not care if you did it the right way).

The funny thing I already know that basketball or officiating is not people's first priority. But what day are you going to all of a sudden know you will not work a couple weeks out? If there is a death you likely not know that until it happens. We know birthdays and anniversaries well in advance. I know people that know when their office Christmas Party is going to be held and do not work if need be that day. Our season starts around Thanksgiving, I know a year in advance how many games I am working after Thanksgiving or around Thanksgiving. I know when I am working after Christmas too. All big family events and if I do not want to take the chance I do not work.

This is about the culture of the area you work games. It is in our culture of this to get the games well in advance. If those do not want to work, they can not make themselves available. It is really that simple. But if you wait until a month out, you likely are not going to get any games on those days because the schedule was well finalized and made. At least that is the case at the varsity level.

Peace

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by SC Official

You’re completely ignoring conflicts that come up in one’s personal life that can’t be foreseen from so far out. Officiating high school basketball is not most people’s first priority.

It also ignores the fact that we don't get our most of our college assignments until October/early November.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Raymond

It also ignores the fact that we don't get our most of our college assignments until October/early November.

We also do not get our college games until that time. But if you are really a college official, you know not to take any high school games on Saturdays or common conference days (which can vary). It is not necessarily common that you get an afternoon high school game. And anyone that assigns me or others know that if we get a college game, we are not working the high school game. I for the first time ever in my career had a game on Friday that was a college game. I told the assignor to take me off of the game and he did just that without any issues. If that is a problem then I will work for someone else that understands and most clearly do.

Peace

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

We do not have this issue as you are making out to be...

I didn't make it an issue. I simply think it's an unfavorable setup and am glad things don't work that way here.

As you always say, states can do things their own way.

Originally Posted by Raymond

It also ignores the fact that we don't get our most of our college assignments until October/early November.

I'd leave every high school date open, and give back however many games I had to based on the college games I get. Too many things can happen. What if you get removed from one of the college conferences you work for? Now there's no guarantee you'll be able to work on those dates you blocked thinking you'd have a college game.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by SC Official

I didn't make it an issue. I simply think it's an unfavorable setup and am glad things don't work that way here.

As you always say, states can do things their own way.

Yes, but we do not have a shortage of officials in basketball in this state. This is pretty much how it is done in some capacity across the state. You said it was a problem, but it seems to be working here. Again these are the terms and people work about it. I do not know anyone complaining they have a game a year out on a Friday or even Saturday (if they are not a college official). This gives you plenty of time to plan and adjust. I usually block the dates for a particular assignor in November, December and January for the following year. I get the actual game, site and time around July or as late as August for the coming year after the camp season is over. And here is the thing, we do not have the state office giving us games. I know the limited choices I will work on any given date based on who assigned the game or who I blocked the date off for. I do not know if you have the traffic problems with do here in the Chicago area, but that can change your day big time based on where the game is located. But at least I know if I accept a game from someone in the Western Suburbs, I know what my travel is going to be as compared to the Northern Suburbs or a game in the City of Chicago. If I cannot do the game, I know assignors have people that can and willing to fill the contest. They might not get who they want, but they will get someone. And those like myself that have been around get asked first anyway to fill dates. Not everyone is getting asked as early as me to fill dates for the following season.

Originally Posted by SC Official

I'd leave every high school date open, and give back however many games I had to based on the college games I get. Too many things can happen. What if you get removed from one of the college conferences you work for? Now there's no guarantee you'll be able to work on those dates you blocked thinking you'd have a college game.

Again the college official is in a different situation. But we have so many college games around here, that depending on the level you work, you probably work for multiple assignors at the college level. We have all levels including D1 right in our backyard. High school assignors understand this and if they have some of their best officials that work college, they accommodate for them often. One of my first college men's assignors assigns games in both high school and college. He does not give his college staff high school games on Saturdays to cover this college games. I also give him several Friday dates and his stuff is close or not very far when I work high school for him. It works out well.

Peace