HS Tournament Officials

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by tomegun


Tomegun: I have also seen what some would call bad situations and what are bad situations. I'm not criticizing you or the Illinois system. I'm simply stating that a coach should have zero influence. I've seen this attempted and I've seen it fail. In the state of Nevada there are opportunities for good officials and more importantly good people. I know this for a fact.

I am not taking anything you say as a critizism, but just telling you what I see reality is. All I am stating, is whether you realize it or not, whether it is in black and white or not, coaches and schools have influence. Because if the schools know who the commissioner is, I am sure they complain to him/her more than you realize. Just like the assignors I work with here. The assignors have the final say as to who works the games, but they do get complaints from coaches and ADs about officials. Now the assignor might want to see tape or want to get some understanding from a play, but if the coach is right about an official's attitude or demeanor or it was brought to their attention about something the assignor/commissioner, the person in charge I am sure takes that information into account. Now they might not be a slave to that information, but I am sure it plays some kind of part in any system that is out there.

Now this is just what the state says is the factors, anyone that has any sense realizes (in my state I am talking about), that there are factors that play big parts as well. If you work one or a few conferences, if you are not Certifed, if you do not attend clinics if you do not work a lot of the certain class of ball (A or AA, Boys or Girls), if you are not ranked high in your area (state breaks officials into geograpical regions) and you do not have enough experience. All these things will keep you out of the playoffs. And I know that if you are an official that works in a very small area and does not broden your horizons. I work for more than 5 assignors, I will be in a better position to get a playoff as compared to someone that only works for one assignor.

And the most thing of all, if someone (not a coach) that has influence sees you and likes you, you will get in the playoffs I can guarantee you that. Happen to me in Football last year and I did not meet many of these requirements to warrant the assignment. I was an X Official and had no business (in my opinion) to get that opportunity. I might be a good official, but I had not done what others did and with many other C officials staying home. That was not right to me, and I was an R official this year and stayed home. And the only reason I got that opportunity in football, I worked with a crew that was getting consideration for their second State Final and was seen by the individual that makes the decisions of playoff assignments for football and I got an opportunity. I was on no Top 15 lists, I was not a highly rated official based on percentile of ratings and I was not a C official, but in 2002 in the first round, I was there. Go figure.

Peace