The Homer Ref!

glind · #1 (**permalink**) Fri Jan 05, 2001, 03:49pm

Last night I reffed a 7&8 grade game in a small town close to were I live. The guy that I reffed with was the worst homer ref I have ever seen. Just a few examples of certain things,(besides being out of position and poor machanics): I am the trail, there is a steal I become lead on the fast break, I feel that I got in good position and the kid missed the layup(shot it way to hard) the visting team had a player running along side but NO contact, I here a whistle blow and look to see what he has. A foul on the shot and he was still back at the opposite free throw line in the middle of the court. I just kidda rolled my eyes. There were a couple other fouls, of course they were on the visiting team and on their best player, he called when he was way out of position and I was right on the play.

The question that I have is how to answer the coach when he asked me the question? "How can you let him call that when you were right on top of the play?"

I just calmly said that he saw something I didn't see.

Is there anything else that you can do?

Richard Ogg · #2 (**permalink**) Fri Jan 05, 2001, 05:57pm

OK, penalty points to me for undermining the team, but....

My initial response to the coach is to ask my partner what he had -- he made the call. (Literally this wasn't his question, but that's still my response.) Eventually I might state that I didn't have anything, but he has to ask my partner what he had.

If the coach pushes the "How can you let him call..." question I will reply that "We each call what we see" and leave it at that.

One more thing -- I don't work with that partner again, and I inform my assigner as to why. That will work where I live, YMMD (your mileage may differ).

johnfox · #3 (**permalink**) Fri Jan 05, 2001, 11:24pm

One suggestion, no matter how bad you felt your partner was please do not call him Homer. I feel that is one of the most degrading statements a fan, coach, player and even worse, another official can say about an official. I agree, just don't work with him ever again!

mick · #4 (**permalink**) Sat Jan 06, 2001, 12:49am

Quote:

Originally posted by glind
I just kidda rolled my eyes.

glind,
If the coach saw you "kinda roll your eyes", you open yourself up to even more coach questions.
When that happens to me, I have to concentrate on putting on a poker face.
mick

glind · #5 (**permalink**) Sat Jan 06, 2001, 02:33am

Fisrt of all I have already told the adminstrator of the school that I will not work any more games with that ref. Thanks for backing me up because I had already talked to him before I read your posts and he kinda gave me hard time but I just said it was not good for my officiating to work with him.

Second I need to appologize for calling him a homer I guess I would not want some one to call me that. It was the only word that came to mind at the time. I have seen this guy ref since I was in junior high and I bet I can count the number of times his team lost on two hands and they have gotten a few favorable calls throughout the years. But at any rate he is a fellow official and I should not have cut him down like that. I am Sorry.

Third. mick about the rolling the eyes thing I didn't out right roll my eys it was just a figure a speech. I always try to keep my game face on through any situation during a game. I find that if you look calm and cool and don't show that you might be a little upset with the way things are going the game seems to go alittle better.

Thank you for the feed back.

williebfree · #6 (**permalink**) Sat Jan 06, 2001, 09:14pm

I would hazard to guess that your body language was communicating your disgust with your partner.... It is nearly inevitable.

Glind... Would you E-mail me... I am also a Wisconsinite.

Thanks!

Indy_Ref · #7 (**permalink**) Mon Jan 08, 2001, 10:53am

Quote:

Originally posted by glind
First of all I have already told the adminstrator of the school that I will not work any more games with that ref. Thanks for backing me up because I had already talked to him before I read your posts and he kinda gave me hard time but I just said it was not good for my officiating to work with him.

I think telling the administrator is the best thing you could do based on all the info you have on that official. If the administrator gives you a hard time, I'd be inclined to suspect that he knows how this official calls the game in the home team's favor. He may actually like the fact that this official "sees to it" that the home team gets their breaks.

If that is so, I'd think about NOT working for that administrator again! He's not the kind of material I want to be associated with as a good and upstanding official.