Three D1 Refs Suing NCAA & Alliance Affiliated Leagues

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

The D3/NAIA games I had for the time that I was doing college just didn't have that many people. A decent Friday night HS game almost always had more.



You're in an area fortunate enough to have several college options in close proximity. That is not the case in a lot of places. A lot of college officials here are driving 3-5 hours (one way) to games on a regular basis. There are certainly local games, but there are only a handful as close as all the HS games.

Partner and I talking before tonight’s game. He recalled one day years ago when he had four youth games and then a varsity game on a Saturday. Total fees were $200.

Then Mr. College Assignor calls. “Need you tonight for a men’s game at 8pm.” Gave all his local games back to the disdain of the local assignors. Four hours away plus had to pick up partners along the way. Oh, and had to be there two hours early for college. So he left a little after noon, and got back at 2am. Fee = $175.

His local assignments suffered from lack of dependability thereafter. Next time Mr. College Assignor called with a last minute assignment, he said “no.”

That was the last year he worked college. He doesn’t regret it one bit.


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[Raymond]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

...
His local assignments suffered from lack of dependability thereafter. Next time Mr. College Assignor called with a last minute assignment, he said “no.”

That was the last year he worked college. He doesn’t regret it one bit.


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Yeah, that will get you dropped. If you are a college ref and want to stay a college ref, then there are certain expectations. Saying no because of rec or HS games is not one of them.





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[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Yeah, that will get you dropped. If you are a college ref and want to stay a college ref, then that are certain expectations. Saying no because of rec or HS games is not one of them.





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Is that because college assigners have a similar mindset when it comes to D1 assigners taking officials from lower-level assigners on the day of?

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Yeah, that will get you dropped. If you are a college ref and want to stay a college ref, then that are certain expectations. Saying no because of rec or HS games is not one of them.





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I agree. Here, the expectation is that you can take a college game, even same day. The HS assignor accepts those without holding it against you....college always wins. If you don't want to give up a HS game for a college game, you block the date.

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

Partner and I talking before tonight’s game. He recalled one day years ago when he had four youth games and then a varsity game on a Saturday. Total fees were $200.

Then Mr. College Assignor calls. “Need you tonight for a men’s game at 8pm.” Gave all his local games back to the disdain of the local assignors. Four hours away plus had to pick up partners along the way. Oh, and had to be there two hours early for college. So he left a little after noon, and got back at 2am. Fee = $175.

His local assignments suffered from lack of dependability thereafter. Next time Mr. College Assignor called with a last minute assignment, he said “no.”

That was the last year he worked college. He doesn’t regret it one bit.

If you are working for someone who won't let you say no to a day-of assignment, you are working for a bad assignor.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by AremRed

If you are working for someone who won't let you say no to a day-of assignment, you are working for a bad assignor.

Well, kind of. I know we should tell the truth, but it is not like you have to tell the truth all the time when asked or keep your calendar up so this becomes less of an issue. If he wanted to work the youth games, just block them off at least if you have an online system that is being used. Your availability is not everyone's business anyway. All they need to know is you can work or not.

Peace

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by AremRed

If you are working for someone who won't let you say no to a day-of assignment, you are working for a bad assignor.

I disagree.

I your calendar says available, you are available. If you don't want a game, block your calendar. Save the assignor 30 phone call trying to find someone who's calendar is accurate.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

I disagree.



I your calendar says available, you are available. If you don't want a game, block your calendar. Save the assignor 30 phone call trying to find someone who's calendar is accurate.

The problem with Arbiter is that having a game in one group doesn’t always affect how you’re seen in another group.

I worked college baseball for over a decade. My main reason for quitting is that my assigner used to call and try to convince me to “dump my HS game” for him. Even though I blocked the date on my Arbiter.

Also, he thought it was normal to be able to umpire 18 innings starting at noon on a weekday on a moments notice. He rewarded those who could with postseason recommendations. He used the rest of us to fill his schedules.

No thanks, bye bye.


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[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

The problem with Arbiter is that having a game in one group doesn’t always affect how you’re seen in another group.

Can't you just have the date blocked regardless of the level? I know when I share Arbiter blocks, I do not share the site or the level with another group.

Originally Posted by Rich

I worked college baseball for over a decade. My main reason for quitting is that my assigner used to call and try to convince me to “dump my HS game” for him. Even though I blocked the date on my Arbiter.



Also, he thought it was normal to be able to umpire 18 innings starting at noon on a weekday on a moments notice. He rewarded those who could with postseason recommendations. He used the rest of us to fill his schedules.

No thanks, bye bye.

It is baseball, chances are you are also working a lot earlier than that high school game. One of the reasons I got out was the ego of assignors that felt your time was their time in a sport that did not make money. They needed to get over themselves. (Off my soap box).

College basketball conferences have gotten away from using Arbiter, so this is not the same issue. You literally can block a date for any reason and know one really knows unless you actually tell them why there is a block. BlueZebra is used more by college assignors anymore. It is a better site and easier to block things. So if you want to work your little 4th grade games you can do so an no one is going to know unless you tell them you are working 4th grade games.

Peace

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Can't you just have the date blocked regardless of the level? I know when I share Arbiter blocks, I do not share the site or the level with another group.







It is baseball, chances are you are also working a lot earlier than that high school game. One of the reasons I got out was the ego of assignors that felt your time was their time in a sport that did not make money. They needed to get over themselves. (Off my soap box).



College basketball conferences have gotten away from using Arbiter, so this is not the same issue. You literally can block a date for any reason and know one really knows unless you actually tell them why there is a block. BlueZebra is used more by college assignors anymore. It is a better site and easier to block things. So if you want to work your little 4th grade games you can do so an no one is going to know unless you tell them you are working 4th grade games.



Peace

So, I am off the floor. 30+ years and three sports have left me likely in need of a new knee or 2. I can work FB and on the diamond, but the twisting of my knee on a court I can't take day after day. I am also assigning a lot and evaluating.

(Note: I've kept my streak going by covering a late flu scratch this week. Varsity boys. I got through it.)

What I've learned: I was insane working 60+ HS games a season. Nights at home with family are wonderful. The games go on. I wish I could go back and cut my schedule in half.

Some people may want to take it easy, stay close to home, and not drive 3-4 hours to work that night.

No need to insult the 4th graders by calling it a "little 4th grade game."


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[Raymond]

I don't think I've ever worked more than 35 HS games in a season. I started off my officiating career with strict 50/50 shared custody of 9 and 3 year-old boys, so I've never been a game ho. If I had to choose between working 1-2 D3 games/week vs. 3-5 HS games a week, college wins out easy. I no longer need the $$$ from officiating to help balance my income, so I've been doing it strictly for achievement for quite a while now.

I simply enjoy the college game so much more. It's not only the quality of play and coaching, it's also working with much better officials at the college level. I don't work little kids games b/c I am totally disinterested in those games. I don't want to leave my house for games I don't want to work.

Whenever I work off-season, AAU and AAU-type basketball, I work no more than 3 games in a day, usually just once for the entire weekend. Other officials question me as if I'm acting like I'm special. I'm not special, I just choose my work load. I have no obligation to work a whole bunch of rec and AAU-style ball. Emails about shortages do not sway me either. I work off-season either b/c there is a high-level tournament going on or I'm preparing for a camp.

I say all that to say, we all make choices in how we provide our services. I choose to subject myself to the inequities of the college game b/c that's the level I want to work, while I limit my availability and workload for other levels b/c that's also what I choose to do.

To each his own; nobody is right or wrong for how they choose to pursue this avocation.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

What I've learned: I was insane working 60+ HS games a season. Nights at home with family are wonderful. The games go on. I wish I could go back and cut my schedule in half.

Some people may want to take it easy, stay close to home, and not drive 3-4 hours to work that night.

No need to insult the 4th graders by calling it a "little 4th grade game."

My first mentor told me this a long time ago.

"When you leave your home and dread what you are about to do, it is time to change something."

I took his advice over 20 years ago and still apply that to my career today.

I would leave my home dreading covering middle school games even if they are 10 minutes from my house, which usually is more than one game a night, on a horrible floor or subpar gym to work games. If I am going to be away from my family I would rather see as many 3 digit numbers as possible for a similar time on the floor. I do not mind driving 3 or 4 hours if I love the experience of what I am doing. I am not doing this all year long. I gave up baseball for a similar reason. I simply did not love the experiences at any level. And I was fortunate to work all levels of amateur baseball at one time. I also know you officiated college football too. Those were much longer days even if the game was 40 minutes away because of what crew chiefs wanted than any basketball game I work for the most part. Having to be on the field a literal hour before the game starts and being at the school sometimes an hour before you get on the field. And those games are on a Saturday where I really could be spending time with my wife and kid. If I can do that like I did this fall, I can work a game 30 minutes from my house (which some games are that close) and be there a little over an hour and after the game I can leave. Heck during football weekends we have to do other stuff and take our time to get out of the locker room with 6 or 7 other people there.

If I am going to work a game, I am going to at least work something I enjoy and not deal with some parent that is a coach and never played the game a day in their life. I would rather get yelled at where there is actual accountability by all participants and a larger organization can oversee the behavior of everyone. That does not take place with middle school games. Anything below high school is a waste of my time and that is my choice. So if that insults people to say, "Little 4th Grade Middle school game" then so be it. For one those that work those games often seem to get value out of those games, but that is them. Those games would make me pull my hair out and I have a lot of hair.

So even though working a few hours from my home can be sometimes a chore (like I did last night going to another state), at least I enjoy the experience for the most part. And yes you still get yelled at, but you are dealing with a more reasonable environment. Working a middle school game can be a cluster with no personal value to working those games for me. I do not apologize for my stance. Which is why I only work boys games and men's college during the season. I worked hard to make that choice and not turning back now.

Peace

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

Partner and I talking before tonight’s game. He recalled one day years ago when he had four youth games and then a varsity game on a Saturday. Total fees were $200.

Then Mr. College Assignor calls. “Need you tonight for a men’s game at 8pm.” Gave all his local games back to the disdain of the local assignors. Four hours away plus had to pick up partners along the way. Oh, and had to be there two hours early for college. So he left a little after noon, and got back at 2am. Fee = $175.

His local assignments suffered from lack of dependability thereafter. Next time Mr. College Assignor called with a last minute assignment, he said “no.”

That was the last year he worked college. He doesn’t regret it one bit.


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Aren't you supposed to be there 90 minutes before tip-off for a college game? Maybe the rules were different back then.

It would be interesting to see if the lawsuit makes college evaluators and observers be more transparent with their records. Dumping old officials in favor of young officials might seem suspicious, especially with good evaluation reports (according to the officials), unless there is good evidence in the reports that the old officials can't cut it anymore.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

Next time Mr. College Assignor called with a last minute assignment, he said “no.” That was the last year he worked college.

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

If your calendar says available, you are available. If you don't want a game, block your calendar.

Another reason why I never stepped up. I was told that with as little as one "No" you would pretty much put yourself on the bottom of the list.

Of course, back then there was no Arbiter, no email, no cell phones; just snail mail, land line phone calls, and answering "machines".