Referee Shortage Discussion-- 127 unfilled varsity games

[UNIgiantslayers]

To address a couple of interesting points:
We do have a pipeline of sorts. Our big metro conference gets 3 person for most of their JV games. That's a good place for new/young officials to network and figure out how to get varsity games. Then, you're typically trusted on a few small varsity games the first year of varsity scheduling. The next couple years will be full schedule if you want it of varsity small school ball. After you prove yourself, attend a few camps, our current assignor will give you a chance on a couple of big conference games. If you do well, you'll get more the next year. If you don't do well, you'll get a couple the next year to improve or improve yourself. I think that works well.

Rich, while I can appreciate your view as an assignor, the 2 man game is a LOT harder and more work than 3. If I were getting the same paycheck for 2 man, I would turn those games back. If that ended my time as an official, that's fine with me as I'm not interested in doing 2 man varsity double headers for $90 a night. I'm not sure if I would be in the minority or majority, and I'd have to think pretty hard about that decision but I just don't see myself driving to Glidden-Ralston, Iowa for a game in front of 40 people where the game check barely pays for fuel and not enjoying the game. Hell, I don't want to go there to do 3 man, but we all take our lumps a few times a season. 2 man, to me, is not fun. At all.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

To address a couple of interesting points:

We do have a pipeline of sorts. Our big metro conference gets 3 person for most of their JV games. That's a good place for new/young officials to network and figure out how to get varsity games. Then, you're typically trusted on a few small varsity games the first year of varsity scheduling. The next couple years will be full schedule if you want it of varsity small school ball. After you prove yourself, attend a few camps, our current assignor will give you a chance on a couple of big conference games. If you do well, you'll get more the next year. If you don't do well, you'll get a couple the next year to improve or improve yourself. I think that works well.



Rich, while I can appreciate your view as an assignor, the 2 man game is a LOT harder and more work than 3. If I were getting the same paycheck for 2 man, I would turn those games back. If that ended my time as an official, that's fine with me as I'm not interested in doing 2 man varsity double headers for $90 a night. I'm not sure if I would be in the minority or majority, and I'd have to think pretty hard about that decision but I just don't see myself driving to Glidden-Ralston, Iowa for a game in front of 40 people where the game check barely pays for fuel and not enjoying the game. Hell, I don't want to go there to do 3 man, but we all take our lumps a few times a season. 2 man, to me, is not fun. At all.

To me, it depends on who is requesting 2 officials. If the officials association tells certain schools they only get two, how is this the school's fault?

My 24 schools are in the smallest two divisions in the state. If anyone suggested that the bigger schools deserved that third official more than mine, I'd be as loud as I needed to be to make sure that didn't happen. Our games are physical and need the third official just as much.

Fortunately, our system here has each league hiring licensed officials and I can use anyone willing to drive to the location and work. Right now, I have no shortage.

I try to make sure we're competitive with pay. We pay more than most and the big school conferences feel they can pay less cause officials want to work those games. As an official, I've realized that there's a lot of joy in worrking for smaller schools. Once everyone went to 3-person, I stopped worrying about filling my schedule with big school games. I'd rather stay closer to home.

But if I was a school who was told "You're only getting two" I'd fight paying more money.

An example from a few years ago. Scheduling mixup at a game I was working. Only 2 officials. Partner thought we'd get paid the three checks for the two of us. I said, "why should we? Not the school's fault. And our contract doesn't promise a crew size." I got one of the JV officials to stay.

As far as me as an official? I will simply never again accept a game with fewer than 3 officials. Easy.


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[UNIgiantslayers]

Originally Posted by Rich

To me, it depends on who is requesting 2 officials. If the officials association tells certain schools they only get two, how is this the school's fault?
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An example from a few years ago. Scheduling mixup at a game I was working. Only 2 officials. Partner thought we'd get paid the three checks for the two of us. I said, "why should we? Not the school's fault. And our contract doesn't promise a crew size." I got one of the JV officials to stay.

You know what? That's a really great point. I suppose it just depends from which perspective you look at it. I'm on the older end of the millennial generation and a part of Trump's America, so I was only looking at it from my own lens.

As far as me as an official? I will simply never again accept a game with fewer than 3 officials. Easy

I imagine that would be my strategy as well. I don't know how well that would go over with my assignor though, so that may spell an end to a below average officiating career.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Rich

As far as me as an official? I will simply never again accept a game with fewer than 3 officials. Easy.

While the Navy keeps moving me around, I don’t have this luxury. However, in five years or so when I retire, I’ll have to settle somewhere. I told my wife I don’t care where, as long as they have 3-person.



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[Raymond]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

While the Navy keeps moving me around, I don’t have this luxury. However, in five years or so when I retire, I’ll have to settle somewhere. I told my wife I don’t care where, as long as they have 3-person.



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Come back to Hampton Roads. My HS assignor is looking to make everything 3-man.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Come back to Hampton Roads. My HS assignor is looking to make everything 3-man.

Funny you should mention that. I’m working on a masters degree this year so I’m only here for a year. My next assignment is trending Norfolk. Outside chance it could be DC, but right now Norfolk seems where I’m headed.

Should I go back to 94 or work on the peninsula? (I haven’t been following Tidewater board politics lately.). The wife is going to want to live in VB, so if I go peninsula that would involve a lot of “tunneling” to get to games. But I would do it if the organization there is eager to employ me with a full schedule commensurate with my experience and ability.

I wouldn’t mind retiring in HR. Lots of jobs for washed up vets and my wife is from there...


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[Raymond]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

Funny you should mention that. I’m working on a masters degree this year so I’m only here for a year. My next assignment is trending Norfolk. Outside chance it could be DC, but right now Norfolk seems where I’m headed.

Should I go back to 94 or work on the peninsula? (I haven’t been following Tidewater board politics lately.). The wife is going to want to live in VB, so if I go peninsula that would involve a lot of “tunneling” to get to games. But I would do it if the organization there is eager to employ me with a full schedule commensurate with my experience and ability.

I wouldn’t mind retiring in HR. Lots of jobs for washed up vets and my wife is from there...

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From VB it's not worth the traffic headache to work HS ball on the Peninsula, plus the a-holes in BD94 won't "let" you work for my assignor also. It would be good to participate in one of my assignor's ODU camps and work some off-season stuff for him, and maybe get some college assignments (He assigns men's and women's for 2 USCAA schools). If you lived on the Monitor-Merrimac side of the Southside, then working HS ball on the Peninsula would be a good choice.

Shoot me a PM for specifics and names.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

I'm not interested in doing 2 man varsity double headers for $90 a night.

I'm on record (I may be the only Forum member to take such stand) as liking the mental and physical challenge of a two person game.

That being said, if I belonged to an association that worked a lot of doubleheaders, I would be the first to jump on the three person bandwagon.



Here in my little corner of Connecticut, coaches and athletic directors frown upon varsity officials working two games. They're afraid that the officials may not be fully prepared to properly (mentally and physically) work that second game.

I've worked exactly one junior varsity/varsity doubleheader in the past twenty-plus years, only due to an overabundance of games and an underabundance of officials after several postponements and reschedules due to snow.

Now that I've retired from my day job I've made myself available to my assigner for afternoon games, including subvarsity games. I've got a freshman/junior varsity doubleheader coming up in a few weeks and I'm not looking forward to it. Not because they're subvarsity games, but because I have to work a doubleheader. And it has nothing to do with time, as a varsity official I'm always there to observe the first three periods of the junior varsity game before mine. In fact, after my doubleheader I can see myself staying for at least half of the varsity game (like our junior varsity officials are supposed to do) just to yank some chains.

[UNIgiantslayers]

Our state does almost exclusively B/G varsity double headers. They have what we call supernights to save on facilities/transportation costs. Freshmen, JV, Varsity Boys and girls will all be played on the same night. So it typically goes

GAME 1: JV girls or boys in main gym (Crew 1), Other JV game in auxiliary gym (Crew 2).

GAME 2: Freshman Boys Aux gym (Crew 2), Varsity Girls main gym (Crew 3).

GAME 3: Freshman Girls Aux Gym (Crew 2 or some combination of crew 1 & 2), Varsity Boys main gym (Crew 3).

Or if you're having trouble envisioning that, the gym schedule looks like this:

Aux gym: Game 1 Freshman girls, Game 2 JV Boys, Game 3 JV Girls

Main gym: Game 1 Freshman Boys, Game 2 Varsity girls, Game 3 Varsity boys

A lot of times those freshman games are 2 man, but for the most part all of those games are 3 person crews in the big conference here. If you go to a small school, you can pretty much count on all sub varsity games being 2 man. Subvarsity officials on those nights will work 1, 2, or 3 games depending on desire and luck of the draw. Varsity officials work the doubleheader.

That schedule allows for sub varsity kids to be available for varsity games. I started out working these nights, and I liked working the triple header because you would make a bit more. As a sub varsity ref, you don't get paid as much per game as the varsity guys but you can make up the difference and more if you're willing to put in some time away from family. I think if we had a glut of officials, they would probably prefer not to have people work 3 games in a night because by the end of that third game, you are wiped.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

As a sub varsity ref, you don't get paid as much per game as the varsity guys but you can make up the difference and more if you're willing to put in some time away from family.

For my upcoming freshman/junior varsity doubleheader I'll be getting a check for $126.10 (subvarsity Fee: $63.05). If I only did the varsity game that night, it would be $97.17.

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

... because by the end of that third game, you are wiped.

I'm afraid of this for my freshman/junior varsity doubleheader. I'm not the type to give freshman games and junior varsity games any less effort than I would working a varsity game.

It's funny how that while I get older each year the players stay the same age each year.

It's not fair I tell you. It's not fair.

[SD Referee]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

To address a couple of interesting points:
We do have a pipeline of sorts. Our big metro conference gets 3 person for most of their JV games. That's a good place for new/young officials to network and figure out how to get varsity games. Then, you're typically trusted on a few small varsity games the first year of varsity scheduling. The next couple years will be full schedule if you want it of varsity small school ball. After you prove yourself, attend a few camps, our current assignor will give you a chance on a couple of big conference games. If you do well, you'll get more the next year. If you don't do well, you'll get a couple the next year to improve or improve yourself. I think that works well.

Rich, while I can appreciate your view as an assignor, the 2 man game is a LOT harder and more work than 3. If I were getting the same paycheck for 2 man, I would turn those games back. If that ended my time as an official, that's fine with me as I'm not interested in doing 2 man varsity double headers for $90 a night. I'm not sure if I would be in the minority or majority, and I'd have to think pretty hard about that decision but I just don't see myself driving to Glidden-Ralston, Iowa for a game in front of 40 people where the game check barely pays for fuel and not enjoying the game. Hell, I don't want to go there to do 3 man, but we all take our lumps a few times a season. 2 man, to me, is not fun. At all.

I love reading all the posts. Some of you guys are very experienced and very knowledgeable. Great info.

The only part of the above post I agree with in regards to "the 2 man game is a LOT harder and more work than 3" is that it's a lot harder to catch everything.

If you have a good 3 man crew, you should still be working hard and doing your best at all times. It just bugs me a little when people say that you work harder in a 2 man crew. I disagree. I think all good officials word just as hard at all time. Just my opinion.

One more thing to agree on. 2 man is not fun at all. I'm glad we don't do 2 man ever anymore where I ref. I still believe that if I get 2 great partners, we are still working as hard. We just catch more with the extra set of eyes.

[UNIgiantslayers]

Originally Posted by SD Referee

I love reading all the posts. Some of you guys are very experienced and very knowledgeable. Great info.

The only part of the above post I agree with in regards to "the 2 man game is a LOT harder and more work than 3" is that it's a lot harder to catch everything.

If you have a good 3 man crew, you should still be working hard and doing your best at all times. It just bugs me a little when people say that you work harder in a 2 man crew. I disagree. I think all good officials word just as hard at all time. Just my opinion.

One more thing to agree on. 2 man is not fun at all. I'm glad we don't do 2 man ever anymore where I ref. I still believe that if I get 2 great partners, we are still working as hard. We just catch more with the extra set of eyes.

I never said that I'm working harder in a 2 person game. I stated that it's a lot harder and more work. There is a small difference there. More to watch and more running. If you're running the same amount in a 2 person as you do in 3 man, it would seem to me that you're not in good position in the 2 man game (i.e. sitting just over the division line at T).

There may be guys who don't work "as hard" in a 3 man game, but that's not me. I got dinged on an eval a couple years back for "overhustling." Whatever that means. There's no question that I'm working my ass off in both games. I'm also fairly young as far as officials go around this area, and in pretty good shape due to my hobbies. I don't say that to be a doucher, but just to emphasize that hustling around a varsity doubleheader is not something that's going to beat me down too badly and I don't have a lot of trouble keeping up with guys even at the end of a long night. I work hard in my 3 man games. I hope I don't sound like a braggart by saying that, I really don't mean to.

As to your other points, I wholeheartedly agree.

[BillyMac]

I don't want to be misunderstood.

I've always said that I like the mental and physical challenge of a two person game and that I don't' mind working them.

That being said, I do agree that the modern game of basketball, definitely at the varsity level, possibly at lower levels (if only for official education purposes), requires three to be properly officiated.

For all intents and purposes, we don't work doubleheaders and don't have shot clocks here in Connecticut.

If any of that were to change, I would be leading the three person parade along with the seventy-six trombones.



Since the top Connecticut coaches, winning with a full court defense, fast break game, believe that the third official will lead to more player disqualifications, their principals, and athletic directors, as well as the state interscholastic sports governing body, don't see the need to spend the extra money for a third official, a third official that many of their coaches don't really want and aren't pushing to have.

[SD Referee]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

I never said that I'm working harder in a 2 person game. I stated that it's a lot harder and more work. There is a small difference there. More to watch and more running. If you're running the same amount in a 2 person as you do in 3 man, it would seem to me that you're not in good position in the 2 man game (i.e. sitting just over the division line at T).

There may be guys who don't work "as hard" in a 3 man game, but that's not me. I got dinged on an eval a couple years back for "overhustling." Whatever that means. There's no question that I'm working my ass off in both games. I'm also fairly young as far as officials go around this area, and in pretty good shape due to my hobbies. I don't say that to be a doucher, but just to emphasize that hustling around a varsity doubleheader is not something that's going to beat me down too badly and I don't have a lot of trouble keeping up with guys even at the end of a long night. I work hard in my 3 man games. I hope I don't sound like a braggart by saying that, I really don't mean to.

As to your other points, I wholeheartedly agree.

My post wasn't meant to say that YOU don't work harder. Just reminded of people that say they have to work harder in 2 man. I have no doubt that you are working hard. I probably misinterpreted your post and went off on an unnecessary rant