ER! One of my schedulers screwed up big time. 3 crews - 2 games. My crew got sent home. Scheduler gave me wrong start time when we originally scheduled so I was there 1hr 20 min before the actual game. So I get back in the car and go grab a bite to eat. Come back still the only offical there so I go get changed. Partner shows up we change... Head up to the JV game - Run onto the court get in pregame postions start checking the book - crew #2 shows up.... they see us on the floor they've already got cell phones out and calling scheduler... SCheduler says my crew needs to go down to the freshman game... No problem, we head downstairs and BAM crew #3 is on the floor game in progress... I call the scheduler... oh - hmmm - i screwed up - im sorry you two guys go ahead and go home. WTH?!?!?!??!??!? No pay no nothing. there went 2 and 1/2 hrs. I was mentally ready for a game tonight and instead I have to settle for NBA action or college if I can find a game on. My scheduler owes me one. Thanks for letting me vent.

ace,
I bet you get paid, one way or another.
Take a breath.
Be cool.
Ain't the end of the world or nuthin'.
mick

Be cool! You don't know how lucky you are to HAVE a scheduler.How you react to this with him will reap dividends in the future.

Ace,

Around here, we always pay the officials (game fee and travel fee both) if the mistake is not their fault. You might want to check into that.

Z

The scheduler owes you one. Don't do anything to blow it. Look at it as an opportunity.

Stuff happens.

The golden rule...
 

React to his mistake the way you want him to react to your mistakes! ;)

Back in the Saddle,

I love that thought, well said! Ace, don't burn any bridges as it may pay great dividends in the future but I would let him know that you feel you should be reimbursed and then flow with it (once).

Assignor/Scheduler
 

This one touches a nerve. On a HS level in my association, we give an availability sheet to the assignor/scheduler in July for the basketball season which begins in December. The assignor/scheduler doesn't give us our schedule until the last week in November. If we turnback a game after receiving our schedule, we are fined $15. If we have to miss a game because of an emergency (car accident, death in the family, etc.), we have to pay the assignor/scheduler a game fee (Varsity HS $72.85). If the assignor/scheduler sends two crews to do one game, there is no compensation for the crew that doesn't work.
The assignor/scheduler does not have any liability for screwing up. The assignor/scheduler (in my association we call them commissioners because we have to pay them 7% of the game fee when we are assigned a game) makes about $45,000 for assigning games. The best schedule we could possibly get from
him would be 40-45 games on the varsity level (45 X $72.85),
you can do the numbers. The assignor/scheduler screws up alot in my association because he does everything by hand (he doesn't believe in computers) which only makes it worse.
My complaint is that there should be some type of penalty in place as an incentive for the assignor/scheduler to avoid these mistakes. As it is now, they hold all the cards. And, you know what happens if you complain.

WinterWillie,

You're making $72.85 per game for varsity? Where are you? I'm moving there! :D

John -- Our commissioner, Howard, does a pretty darn good job -- probably about as good as could possibly be done. But even so, I sympathize. Everyone does. We've all been through it at least a time or two. I'm going to tell you my own worst "scheduler mistake" story, but I want everyone to realize (especially Howard, who reads this board) that I'm not complaining -- just letting you know that I've been through it. My FIRST VARSITY GAME was mis-scheduled. It was between a local school and a school from out of the area, and somehow Howard thought it was to be played locally, but it wasn't. Heck, I had invited about 937 people, and scheduled a party afterward. I showed up at this school with my nice clothes, my garment bag and my brand new whistle, to watch a floor being re-surfaced.

The only real choice unless you are or want to end up completely neurotic, is to just let it go, and keep plugging. But then you knew that already, didn't you?

WinterWillie....I feel for you. I am glad we do not have to put up with that here in Seattle. I have found our assignor to do a good job, takes care of his refs when things get goofed up. We also have a a board in our association that we can appeal to if needed, that will review problems so the assignor is not all powerful. In the few years I have been here seems to work pretty good.

Re: Assignor/Scheduler
 

You should have your assignor get in touch with me. I have developed, over 10 years, near perfect software for managing basketball seasons. It isn't a 'database'. It's a work-flow based system that understands that people get sick, games get moved, automatically generates relevant communications, and keeps a visual audit trail, so the assignor can see at a glance everything that's pending . . . he or she can email me at [email protected]

Seriously, WinterWillie, what state are you from? $45,000 for an assignor? Over 70 bucks for a varsity game? Times must be good wherever you are...

I don't know about Willie but I get between $86 and $100 for HS varsity games.

I could never imagine having to pay a game check to an assignor because of an emergency coming up. "Well, my wife's having a baby, but sorry honey, I gotta go ref instead." We work 2 games a night and get paid anywhere from $80 to $100. I guess if you make over $70 for one high school game though, the penalty does sound a little more fair. But then I'd be doing everything in my power to become an assignor! :)