Today was one of those days for me. I did four games in total, two CYO games (out of the association) in the morning and a girls JV and varsity game in the afternoon and I had a tough time with my partners. In the morning, I worked with a generally untrained official who didn't know what the travel rule was. The guy called phantom travels (I know because at least two of them were in my area) the whole game, including 3 times in the final minute of a close game. There was no flow to that game at all.

Speaking of no flow, my partner for the HS games was even worse. The quality of play was, in those games, not top of the line. My partner was a vet who said he has 15 years experience at the HS level, but doesn't do a lot of games anymore and he didn't look it. The guy called every ticky tack infraction, particularly against one team. In the varsity game, the starting five for one team fouled out and we called a total of about 60 fouls (I called about 1/5 of the total fouls), which is unbelievable and totally unacceptable to me. Also, the guy was signalling three-point attemps at the top of the key from the lead and at one point came across the court to tell a coach to stay in the coaches box when he was asking me a question. Sorry for rambling, but I would like some opinions on how I should handle partners like these.

Since you asked for an opinion, I'll give you my $0.02 worth.

With the CYO guy, if he called a phantom travel in front of me, the first time I'd probably let it go, then find something marginal but legitimate ASAP to get the ball back in the hands of the right team. The second time he did it to me, I'd just say "No it was not a travel." If he wanted to discuss it, I'd tell him that it was not a travel, the ball was clearly in my area and I had a look at it. I'd also add that rhetorical question about who's watching your players if you are watching the ball when it's out in front of me? We'd correct his call and go on...point taken.

About the only thing you can do in the varsity set you described is either try and "offset" some of his calls with a few of your own, or just take it until halftime, then express your displeasure. Either way, you are probably going to scratch the guy, you just have to decide whether or not it is worth it to confront the guy.

All officials have to adjust to their crew...I'm a pretty tight official, when I go to a game with a guy who want's to let em play, I have to move a little more toward his philosophy, and he has to blow a little more than he's used to meet up with me. Hopefully, you can find some "common ground" between the two of you.

[Edited by BK on Jan 4th, 2004 at 07:14 AM]

The only way that I'd agree with that was if the "marginal but legitimate" call was being consistently called the whole game on both teams. If not, it's a make-up call, and we're not supposed to make them.Two wrongs don't make a right.

You call your own game. If one is a let em play guy and the other is a call em all guy, you need to meet half way, but I don't agree with "offsetting" some of his calls. It is real similar to a make up call in my opinion.

I agree with Jurassic and Cmathews, you will not be able to keep track of what your next call should be. It will also throw you off your game. Best advice is don't think about the BS they are calling because you need to consecrate on your game. If you are thinking about them, you are not consecrating on the play in front of you.

I have found that a good pre game helps tremendously. However I recently posted about a similar issue where my partner and I were very different on when we call a T. Even though we had a good pregame to find a common ground he went contrary to our agreement during the game. I ended up just trying to work with him and keep him and the coach away from each other. But he really tried to tone down a bit and we tried to work together. When someone does not want to try or does not care enough to have team consisitency it is a pain.
I am fortunate in that in my association the varsity officials do numerous evaluations and as such they see these things and help to deal with it. Plus there is a written record that goes in.

NO WAY!!!
 

I realize that officials are a team, but I am not going down in flames just because my partner is not up to snuff. I am not going to make calls and make myself look bad, if my partner is not qualified to be there. You adjust to your partners if you can, but not totally change your game to make more bad calls that your partner is making. Because when the tape is reviewed, they can pick out the official that was making the bad calls, not accuse both or all officials of doing the same thing. A crew many times will get accused for making bad calls, even if one official made most of them, but I am not going to make it easy for them to point the finger at me or both of us.

Peace

I take my games seriously, but I never thought of them as consecrated! :)

I suppose some might think consecrating might be concentrating a bit much.:)