Crossing Over in College Basketball

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

I am currently a women's college basketball official at the JUCO level. In my experience, the games are better than high school girls, because the players are more talented than high school players. I have enjoyed working the college games I have had.

At the same time, I have been thinking about switching to men's college basketball, for several reasons. First, men's games would be more challenging to work, because the skill level and athletic ability are higher than for comparable women's games. Second, men's games start later. This means that I will have greater availability to work a men's game on a weeknight than a women's game.

For those of you who made the switch, how did it work? Was there anything about your officiating style that you had to change?

Making the "switch" is not honestly your choice. I say that because an assignor has to pick you up and working college is not like telling the assignor you are interested and they give you a game. You have to be picked.

Secondly, there are assignors on the Men's side who do not think Women's officials are that good. Why? Because the athleticism and things you call cannot be marginal as they are often called in Women's game. There is often a higher threshold for players when they are at the rim to what you call. It is not the same.


Finally, the Men's mechanics are also rather different which a lot of Women's officials do not want to adhere to. Stopping the clock on everything and walking and talking is more acceptable, but not the way Women's ball tends to do it IMO. So many things can make you stand out as a "Women's official" and could eliminate you, along with a lot of competition. Most officials are trying to get into Men's ball so trying to get a slot takes time and sometimes several tries.

Good luck with the attempt but it just does not happen because that is something you desire to do. Maybe at the HS level (not in all areas) but certainly not in college ball where the accountability is much more from a game-to-game basis.

Peace