I've been seeing references to the IAABO online for along time, but I don't know a whole lot about it (even reading their web site). SO I ask here. Can anyone join, why should I join, etc..... Please just give me the lowdown.

Thank you for your help

Some of the IAABO boards
 

do a good job educating their members. Some have contracts for assignments. Some don't.

From what I gather......
 

IAABO is mostly a regional thing. Much of the Eastern part of the country as boards that are affiliated with IAABO and they have to be members to get games. Even in my area, you can join IAABO if you choose, but it does nothing for you as an official outside of what a local official's association cannot do. They have some nice training tools, but that is already accomplished by our state and the local associations. So you hear a lot about IAABO because many that are here are members and have to take their tests to officiate in their region of the country. My state only provided information from the NF, IAABO is like a foreign third-world country to me.

Peace

You only have to belong to a board to get
 

games if the board contracts for the games. Some IAABO boards do, some don't.

Mark DeNucci should probably answer this question, but I'll give it a shot.

IAABO is an (as the name implies) international organization dedicated to the improvement and education of basketball officials. Anyone can join as an individual member, even if there is not a local board. IAABO holds interpretation meetings for all of its local interpreters, where new rules, interpretations, mechanics are all disseminated and fully explained. Those interpreters then all go back to their respective boards and give the same interpretations, hopefully making officiating throughout the country more uniform. That's the theory, anyway.

The dues get you a rule book, case book, official's manual and a members' directory, as well as a newsletter (called "Sportorials"). Some areas of the country (like Massachusetts) require an official to be a member of IAABO in order to officiate inter-scholastic games.

For most people, I think membership isn't worth it if it's not required, but there are still advantages to being a member. It just depends on whether you think it's worth the annual dues.

My IAABO membership pays for my rulebooks? Just checked the back of my card and you are right. I pay my IAABO membership fee each year as well as an association membership fee which is supposed to cover the cost of my rulebooks. Am I getting billed twice for my rulebooks?

What fees do you guys pay your association?--I can't remember exactly what I pay. I think it is:
$25-35? IAABO membership
$10 Association membership
$15 per sport season
7% of game fees
(This could all be wrong I didn't really pay that much attention-I think somewhere along the line there was also a $25 fee for the first year you join the association-or was it first year you join IAABO?)

One of the better benifits of IAABO is the insurance
it amount of coverage is twice as much and covers far more.
They cover not only at the game but to and from the game
they cover cardio and have provisions to cover lost games and rehab from injuries.

Massachusetts:

Our IAABO Board dues this year are $65. This pays for our IAABO International dues, our MIAA dues (state HS registration in basketball). We get a book that includes IAABO membership list, the Rule Book, the Case Book and the Official's Manual (2 and 3 man). Also we usually get a goodie bag with some items like a date book, pre-game card, and whistle or something similar. We are required to attend an interpretation meeting (new rules, etc.) and three follow-up meetings. At the first few meetings there is a vendor there selling uniforms and supplies. Each member is invited to a banquet in March (paid for by our dues) and guests are charges $20 to attend.

Most basketball boards in my state are IAABO boards. However, there are a few non-IAABO boards that I know of who referee girls/women only.

Personally, I like IAABO and have been to several of their referee camps.

This is incorrect.

Why?

I think that it's correct for Georgia-up to this year,anyway.I think that Georgia is voting now as to whether they're gonna keep IAABO as their official State body.I know that there are other states in the East that also have IAABO as their recognized State body for basketball officiating too.

Could you explain why Chuck's statement was incorrect, please?

On the MIAA website (Massachusetts State HS Asso.)
they list 19 Basketball Officials Boards that are sanctioned by them (dues paying members/recognized).
13 are IAABO Boards and 6 are not. All 19 boards can assign referees to HS basketball games, including tournament play.

And that's
 

just part of the story. Full story costs extra.

Re: And that's
 

You've got me confused as hell now,Jeff.I know that some states have appointed IAABO as their governing state body for basketball. That means that they are supposed to interpret NFHS rules for that state. As far as I know, Georgia had IAABO in that role for the last three years. I believe that some New England states use IAABO as their governing body also. Are you saying that is false? :confused:

Sorry. I'm showing my bias toward boys' and men's basketball. Jeff is right about Massachusetts. As Maryann pointed out, there are non-IAABO boards in Mass. and they primarily do girls' games. Here in my local area, you had to be an IAABO member to officiate boys HS games, period. That has now changed, for reasons that escape me, to be honest. Now, IAABO officials officiate both boys and girls games, and the non-IAABO board is also allowed to officiate the boys games. So why are there two boards?!?! I don't know.

Anyway, I should have said that it used to be that way. And my guess is that it still is that way in some parts of the country, but here in Mass, Jeff is right: you do not need to be an IAABO official to work inter-scholastic games. In some areas of the state, however, you do need to be an IAABO member to work boys games.

Is that better Jeff? :)

That is, indeed, more accurate.
 

:)

Chuck has done a good job in eplaining some of the benefits of being a member of IAABO. I would like to add more information.

One: Any basketball official in the world can be a member of IAABO. It does not what level of basketball you officiate. H.S., college, WNBA, NBA, FIBA, amateur, or professional. That means if you live in an area where there is not an IAABO Board, you can be and Individual Member.

Two: When someone asks me to explain what IAABO is, I like to use the analogy of professional and technical organiztions in the engineering profession. (I guess that is because I am a structural engineer.) I compare organizations like NASO, NFOA, and Officiating.com to the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). The NSPE is a professional organization. The NSPE is concerned about the condition of all engineers regardless of their disciplines. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) are technical organizations. A technical organizatio is concerned about a specific discipline the engineers that practice that discipline.

IAABO is a technical organization concerned about basketball officials only. Another technical organization in sports officiating is the Amateur Baseball Umpires Association (ABUA). I consider local officials associations (LOA) that are sport specific to be technical organizations.

I hope that this as not muddied the waters pertaining to garote's question.


But my advice to all officials no matter what sport they officiate is that they should belong to organization such as NASO, NFOA, and Officiating.com for the same reason that I am a member of the NSPE. I also advice them to belong to sport specific organizations such as IAABO or ABUA for the same reasons that I belong to the ASCE, ASME, and SEAOC (I have a B.E. in both civil and mechanical engineering and practice structural engineering).

Belonging to these various organizations give officials (engineers) the opportunity to avail themselves of the educational and professional opportunities that organizations offer. And at the vary least the membership dues are tax deductable.

I am with you on this Rich. That is what I love about where I live and officiate. We can work for who we want to. The "associations" are there for our training purposes only, they cannot and do not assign games. If you choose to work with a particular assignor, it is based on their "attitudes" on how you are as an official that gets you hired. Very much like D1 conferences. Of course it benefits you to work for certain assignor to work for another assignor, but you do not have to if the assignor has their own evaluation system. We still have the politics, but it does not matter if a particular assignor really wants to hire you and thinks you are ready for his conference varsity games.

Peace

...That is what I love about where I live and officiate. We can work for who we want to. The "associations" are there for our training purposes only, they cannot and do not assign games. If you choose to work with a particular assignor, it is based on their "attitudes" on how you are as an official that gets you hired. Very much like D1 conferences. Of course it benefits you to work for certain assignor to work for another assignor, but you do not have to if the assignor has their own evaluation system. We still have the politics, but it does not matter if a particular assignor really wants to hire you and thinks you are ready for his conference varsity games.
[/QUOTE]

Same in Massachusettts (at least in the southeast). Our IAABO Board is there for training new candidates, on-going education for members, rules interpretations, membership in HS Association, etc. The board does not contract with schools or youth leagues. The leagues have their own commissioners who are hired separately. Some commissioners are IAABO members and referees, but not representing their board in this assigning capacity. They may hire refs from any boards of their choosing.

I'm not sure about the commissioners' attitudes to get you hired, but politics definitely play a part in getting games. We may work for any commissioners. There are no (formal) evaluations and no tier system for moving up, or number of years experience required. There is a vast array of ability on our HS varsity courts: 1) old vets who are fixtures but haven't improved for twenty years, 2) new guys who have been moved up too fast and aren't really ready, and 3) people who have put in their time, kept up on mechanics and rules, have five or more years of JV experience, and are excellent varsity referees. Then there is another group: those that fall into category 3 above, but are NOT getting varsity games. There are a few assignors who want quality, and make an effort to find refs who have potential and work with them to improve and advance. Others just want bodies to fill games, especially in subvarsity contests. It's "who you know" when it comes to these guys.

Hiya Nine:
 

Do you ever work north of Boston? Email me, if you like.

In Texas, IAABO is virtually invisible. I think I saw an official wearing an IAABO logo one time (out of 4 years) during a summer league. TX high school interscholastic competition (athletic and non-athletic) is governed by an organization called UIL (University Interscholastic League). UIL rules state that officials working any boys or girls varsity contests must be a member of a chapter of TASO (TX Assoc. of Sports Officials). There are some exceptions if TASO officials are not available in a high school's area. But, for the most part, in TX, if you want to work a high school athletic contest you must belong to a TASO chapter. Dues for this year were about $50 (local) and $60 (state) which also includes insurance, rule and case books, etc., and training by the local chapter.

I do not know how my Nov. 08th posting at 09:10pm was reposted at 09:32pm, but I have tried to delete the second posting of it but it is not working.

I guess the third time is the charm because I finally got the second post deleted.

It appears that my post has been deleted. Would anyone like to take credit for that or should I chalk it up to the ghosts that seem to have infected this board?

Rich

Texas has an IAABO board in Houston. I don't know what they call but it isn't UIL. In Colorado IAABO Board 4 had the monopoly on high school officiating. Jr High was not under the umbrella of CHSAA so they could use what they wanted though most games were IAABO officials.

If you don't live in an IAABO area, then the only reason to be a member is if you plan to one day move back. I let my membership drop.

I do like the way IAABO mails you a NF rule book, case book, and officials manual in one binder.

[Edited by Tim Roden on Nov 9th, 2003 at 10:50 PM]

Here in Georgia, we've gotten no real benefit from being part of IAABO. Our board is strongly in favor of letting them go, and Georgia High School seems to agree.

I accept that fact that in many areas, the only way to receive assignments is to belong to a local association.

But the benefits that one gets from membership in an technical association whether it be a national one such as IAABO or a local officials association is proportionate to what you put into the association.

If one were to make up a list of what a technical association for basketball officials should provide for its members, I hope that providing assignments would be low on its list of priorities. High on an LOA's list of benefits should be education: rules, mechanics, and ethics/professionalism. A LOA should also be proactive in the education of non-officials: scorers, timers, players, ATHLETIC DIRECTORS and COACHES!! And a LOA should be defending officials against unprofessional practices by athletic directors and coaches. I would hope that an official would not have as his primary reason for belonging to an officials association is to receive assignments.

Virginia, VHSL, specifically states that IAABO membership is not required in the sate. Moreover, the test is mot a replacement for the NFHS/VHSL sanction test and one is NOT ALLOWED to wear an IAABO patch when one is wearing the VHSL patch.

This being said, I am a member for the insurance, the 3 in one book, and the good feeling I got when I passed the test. Those who don’t know, it is a 50-question test that is more like the casebook than the NF test.

It sounds like you are more than a rank and file member of IAABO. What is your relationship with IAABO?

Yes, I am a member of IAABO. In fact I am member of several IAABO national committees. I am also a member of ASCE, ASME, SEAOC, and NSPE, as well as NASO and Officiating.com four local basketball officials associations. One does not have to be a member of an organization's national committee to reap the benefits of an organization's membership. As I have stated before, you get out of an organization what you put into it.

[/B][/QUOTE]

Yes, I am a member of IAABO. In fact I am member of several IAABO national committees. [/B][/QUOTE]Which ones, Mark?

Yes, I am a member of IAABO. In fact I am member of several IAABO national committees. [/B][/QUOTE]Which ones, Mark? [/B][/QUOTE]


It is not my intent to be coy, but does it really matter which committees to which I belong.

Visualization and Education
Women's Coordinating
Membership Development
Rules Examination

[/QUOTE]

Yes, I am a member of IAABO. In fact I am member of several IAABO national committees. [/B][/QUOTE]

Then can you explain to me how official's choice got the exclusive rights to IAABO products. It is more like IAABO official's ONLY choice. I have had poor service from them and would love to use a different provider-but they have a monopoly on IAABO products.


If they are going to have that exclusive contract can they at least be forced to sell the IAABO patch to members so we can use other providers and sew the IAABO patch on. Please don't just tell me to ask my board secretary to order them. I have asked and been told to order it myself from official's choice--but officials choice won't sell the patch alone to me.

Not only has their service been lousy-but they don't sell my size. I am 6 ft. 8in. 205 lbs. Tall but not XL and definitely not XXL. Other companies sell tall sizes but no choice does not.

Can you recommend who at IAABO I can email to get assistance on this?

[Edited by oc on Nov 12th, 2003 at 12:49 AM]

Yes, I am a member of IAABO. In fact I am member of several IAABO national committees. [/QUOTE]

Then can you explain to me how official's choice got the exclusive rights to IAABO products. It is more like IAABO official's ONLY choice. I have had poor service from them and would love to use a different provider-but they have a monopoly on IAABO products.


If they are going to have that exclusive contract can they at least be forced to sell the IAABO patch to members so we can use other providers and sew the IAABO patch on. Please don't just tell me to ask my board secretary to order them. I have asked and been told to order it myself from official's choice--but officials choice won't sell the patch alone to me.

Not only has their service been lousy-but they don't sell my size. I am 6 ft. 8in. 205 lbs. Tall but not XL and definitely not XXL. Other companies sell tall sizes but no choice does not.

Can you recommend who at IAABO I can email to get assistance on this?

[Edited by oc on Nov 12th, 2003 at 12:49 AM] [/B][/QUOTE]

You are tall!

Why IAABO
 

IAABO is the only way you can call a basketball game varsity to middle school in Maine. I think it’s like anything in life you get out of it what you put into it. It’s my understanding that in some states IAABO is being viewed as a bad thing because a number of officials who have been calling high school games for years couldn’t and still can’t pass the test. The IAABO test is set up to test the officials rule knowledge and how they apply it to the game. I know the NFHS test is setup to see if the official knows the rules word for word and doesn’t care how well the official can apply them.

by the way:

Officials Choice gets the rights to sell IAABO stuff by giving the IAABO ten thousand dollars each year.

Their test seems to be, from the limited sample I've seen here, worded no better than the NFHS test.

Rich

Re: Why IAABO
 

If a test has 4 legs and you call its tail a leg, how many legs does it have?

"Best Training Organization."
 

On Tuesday, the Secretary/Treasurer of our association recommended IAABO to all officials. He said it was the "best training organization around." Now that might be true, but there is not much they can do for most officials in my area. He also said that if you move to the East Coast, you had to be an IAABO member to get games or move up the ranks. But I do not have any attention on going over there, so it does me no good.

Peace

oc
how many patches do you need email me i can help

Re:
 

Not true about the East Coast. I am in VA and the last time I checked, it was part of the East Coast but I do not have to be a member of IAABO to get games. Probably 1/2 of my association is not IAABO. We are somehow affiliated with or spun off from an IAABO board, but I think that had something to do with tax issues.

There are several companies in Mass. that sell IAABO shirts and jackets. Try Reading Trophy & Shirt Co.,Inc.
660 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: (781) 944-7171

At IAABO, contact Donnie Eppley at [email protected].

Re:
 

I know what you mean. I haven't given any attention to going over there either :D

Thanks, I tried them. Nice enough guy but he gets everything from Paul at officialsnochoice-which still wont make my size or sell the patch separately. He recommended I contact them again and ask if nochoice will make a special order-which they already denied. This leaves me still up a creek. However it looks like PAULK1 can help me out.

Re: Why IAABO
 

That's what I guessed. I have been curious of the details of the transaction. From what I've seen Paul isn't getting the contract for his commitment to service.

Is the $10,000 a rough guess or definite knowledge? For exclusive rights thats a good price.

I like IAABO and am proud to be a member. (I studied a ton to pass that test.) But this part has really been annoying. I guess I should email IAABO directly and get the scoop.


[Edited by oc on Nov 15th, 2003 at 09:58 AM]

Originally posted by oc
I'm also an "impossible to fit" tall guy. Honigs had a jacket in my size that I bought and I was planning to talk with officials choice about emboidering the IAABO logo on it. Your post suggests it won't work. Let me know if you have any luck at IAABO. Donnie is a good guy and should be able to help.

Officials Choice
 

It's fact, they give the money to the IAABO Foundation.

Like you said it's a good deal for The Officials Choice.

Officials choice will put the patch on your jacket for you for $10. But you have to pay to ship it to them and then ship it back. And, in my case, wait 6-8 weeks for them to lose your order, delay your order, and then misship your order. --While forgetting to send half the other other thing you ordered. If you send your jacket this year good luck getting it back before the end of the season.

I went through that whole ordeal for my shirts--Never getting them back in time for my spring season. For my jacket I did the same thing as you-I have one from Honigs-because they sell Tall size. But I am not going to let Paul screw with me again--I want to just sew the patch on myself.



[Edited by oc on Nov 16th, 2003 at 09:31 PM]

Honigs Canada sells the IAABO patches for $9.99 Canadian.

http://www.honigs-canada.com

I don't see it on their website. Do you have to call them?

I'd imagine that they'd have the crests, because they are listed in their catologues. Also there is a guy in Toronto who sells grey shirts with the patch embroidered on it.