One-man officiating

[actuary77]

Have any of you agreed to officiate a game by yourself (i.e. one-man crew)? Or have you been part of a league where all the games only had 1 referee for one reason or another (e.g. budgetary constraints)? If yes, what were the challenges you faced? Any advice?

If you haven't, would you agree to such an arrangement? Why or why not?

[SMEngmann]

I'd never agree to referee by myself but I've been forced to do it a few times, twice at the HS level (car broke down, stuff like that). First piece of advice is not to expect any slack from anyone because you're alone, in fact, sometimes you'll get tested more. Make sure you are on your game at enforcing bench decorum and you communicate well with coaches. Second, make sure you hustle, you can go 28 ft to 28 ft line but I like to be a very active trail to get as best a look as possible. You're gonna miss your share of calls, but you've got to communicate well and sell your ability to do the job alone in order to do well here. These games are no fun and I don't suggest picking them up because there's really not much benefit in doing so.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by SMEngmann
First piece of advice is not to expect any slack from anyone because you're alone, in fact, sometimes you'll get tested more.

My first piece of advice is to say, "Coach, I'm by myself tonight. I'm gonna do my best but I'm not gonna be able to see anything. I'm not gonna listen to any complaining from the bench."

Other than that, work FT line to FT line and hustle as much as you can. Some guys work table side, some guys work opposite. There's merits to both, so do what you're more comfortable with.

[OverAndBack]

I'm with Chuck. That's exactly how I'd handle it. I've shown up early for my game and had a guy working solo, and jumped in just to help him out. I asked him how he did it and he just said he told the coaches up front he was going to do the best he could do but not to expect him to see everything, and then he just tried to hustle as best he could.

I wouldn't agree to work in a league with only one official unless the participants were about 10 or under, but if the choice was you do it solo or the kids don't get to play, I'd give it my best shot and turn off the rabbit ears.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
My first piece of advice is to say, "Coach, I'm by myself tonight. I'm gonna do my best but I'm not gonna be able to see anything.

C'mon, Chuck even you alone wouldn't miss EVERYTHING!

[actuary77]

Thanks for all the advice. I appreciate it.

Unfortunately, I did agree to help out this non-profit basketball league who does not have a budget to pay refs. Thus we are all volunteer refs whose schedules allow us to only have 1 ref per game.

I just started out "formal officiating" recently. I joined the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), was accredited by passing the exam and am planning to go to some clinics and camps in November. Though I am not a total rookie since I've officiated some pick-up games when I was in college and high school. So I decided to volunteer for this league to gain some experience and practice.

This is the first season that this particular league had refs. Previous seasons had no refs, i.e. players calling their own fouls and violations. The league commissioners described it as more of a pick-up game league, more friendly than intense.

I just finished my fourth week working games (2 games per night). The players and team captains realize that I am a volunteer ref (i.e. not paid) so I can sense that their gratitude outweighs some of their frustrations during and after the game. It's a good feeling to hear "Thanks" from players on both the winning and losing teams. It's more gratifying to hear "Thanks" and "Good Job" after the game from players who've been complaining a bit too much during the game too.

I talk to the captains before the game and stress that I won't be able to see everything and I couldn't cover all angles. AND I would only be making calls that I see. For the most part they understood this, especially for the first 3 weeks.

Since I view this as more of a pick-up league, my approach has been to be lax with calls, i.e. let the players play, don't call touch fouls, don't call fouls that don't affect the plays, don't call fouls that do not disadvantage a player/team, etc. And of course, some of the players view this as being too lax, that I'm not watching the plays, I'm letting go too much contact, etc. Also, I have avoided calling technical fouls since I dont't think it's warranted in this league. I think any kind of game has its share of cursing, complaining, etc. but at least for the first 3 weeks, I didn't encounter a situation when a T should have been meted out to a particular player. I have a high tolerance for complaining and actually am pretty good at turning a deaf ear to what most of them say.

The fourth week was different though. Things have just gotten more intense. The losing team started complaining too much, confronting me at half time with calls and non-calls and telling me to "open my eyes", "watch the play", "call the fouls", etc. There was even an instance when this player stopped the play and just screamed "FOUL" and started complaining why I didn't call it. Most of these situations definitely warranted a T. But I didn't give it to them. What I did do wrong was I lost my top too, and I confronted them and started to argue with them (i.e. a tantrum, if you will), sort of like how baseball umpires get in the face of players and managers. I know basketball refs are instructed not to do this.

I am already thinking of a game plan on how I will approach the games this coming week (we play on Tuesdays). I will definitely start issuing Ts and ejecting players if necessary. If they want fouls called tight, I will do that. I will again STRESS that I will not call something that I don't see.

What do you guys think? Is this worth it? Am I really gaining useful experience by volunteering my time in this league? Or is this "one-man crew" experience bad for a beginning official?

[Love2ref4Ever]

I have had bad expierences with working one person games. You can tell the coaches and the players that you will not see everything, and that your gonna do the best you can under the circumstances. But, at soon as the game begins "EVERYTHING" that you have told them will get thrown out of the window! I had to do a high school play-off game last season by myself and it was the toughest game that I ever had to work. I was taught that if your in this situation, that if you work table side you will see the same things that the coaches see, I have found this to be helpful in some situations. And when you have plays were the ball goes out of bounds and you are not clear who has touched it last, you go to the alternating possesion arrow. You can catch hell doing games by yourself and unless you cannot get around it, don't do it!

[ChuckElias]

Butch!!!!!! Long time, no see, man. Missed you at 5-Star this summer.

Actuary, it's good that you recognize that you lost your cool. Next step is to figure out how not to do it again. The first part is to recognize when it's appropriate to give a technical foul and the to give it. If somebody yells "FOUL!" in your face, that requires a technical foul at any level. It's not something that you can let slide. Why? B/c if you don't call it, you have told everyone else that they get one free shot to yell at you. Recognize the technical foul situation and then call it.

The second part is be able to call this just any other foul. Turn to the table, blow the whistle and calmly make the T signal. Do not raise the tension by "whacking" the guy in his face. This is the hard part. B/c you really want to stick it in his mug. You hear about other guys doing it and how good it felt. But don't.

Finally, you asked "Am I really gaining useful experience by volunteering my time in this league? Or is this "one-man crew" experience bad for a beginning official?"

Only you can answer the first question. My only answer is that it's certainly not the best experience you could be getting. But you're still seeing plays, you're still interacting with coaches, and hopefully, you're still working on your mechanics. So you can get something out it, but it's not the best way to get experience, IMHO.

Good luck this week.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by rainmaker
C'mon, Chuck even you alone wouldn't miss EVERYTHING!

That's not what Dan told me at camp!!

[SMEngmann]

I totally agree with Chuck, in any type of a game you must enforce sportsmanship/bench decorum rules. It doesn't matter if you have the thickest skin in the world, you're still giving license to the players/coaches to break the rules and you're making it much more difficult for the next guy who has to come in there next week. It took me a couple years to realize it, but there is no matter of pride in how much abuse you can take, the rules exist for a reason and should be enforced accordingly and the more abuse you allow, the more will come, and the more you think about/regret not giving the T, the more likely you should have whacked 'em.

As for the gratitude factor, there is none in officiating (except usually by the winning team) and you shouldn't expect it just because you're not getting paid or because you're alone (they don't care). One of the worst coaches I had was in a game where I volunteered to hang around the gym to help a buddy work a JH game when his partner didn't show up. They don't care if you're working alone, or for free, they expect their version of perfection.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by actuary77
I am already thinking of a game plan on how I will approach the games this coming week (we play on Tuesdays). I will definitely start issuing Ts and ejecting players if necessary. If they want fouls called tight, I will do that. I will again STRESS that I will not call something that I don't see.

What do you guys think? Is this worth it? Am I really gaining useful experience by volunteering my time in this league? Or is this "one-man crew" experience bad for a beginning official?

I think you made a commitment, and you need to follow through. But I would suggest that you talk to someone in your local association, and see if you can find a "mentor" who will either work with you or at least watch from the stands and make suggestions. I think it was a little short-sighted of your assignor to put a newbie out there alone. But now that you're there, you could learn a lot and do some great improving in a short amount of time -- if there's someone there to give you a boost up. Does that mean I think you're no good? No way. You could be the best newbie in the country, and you'd still need all the help you could get.

[Back In The Saddle]

A couple quick observations. First of all, I admire your determination. I have never had a good experience working alone. You're obviously making it work. Good for you! However, if you have not had the experience of working with a well trained partner, you're in for a real treat when you start working school ball.

Second, enforcing basic rules of decorum is essential in keeping the game under control. If you don't set the boundaries, who will? Even if you can take it, don't. Without a partner, you've got nobody to watch your back. That makes it doubly important to maintain an atmosphere where things are under control.

Getting in somebody's grill is probably not the best way to deal with things. Especially if he's twice your size. And really especially if you don't have partner to step in and break it up. At least that was my experience

[Nu1]

Coming from a newbie...I didn't enjoy my 45 seconds of doing a game alone.

It was Girls Varsity...a weekend team camp...pay was minimal, but I need all the experience I can get. Come game time, I'm all alone. I ask the Coach running the camp who I'm working with and she says, "He didn't show. You'll do fine by yourself."

Jump ball...possession for about 20 seconds...then the ball ends up loose in front of Team A's bench with a swarm of players around it. Of course this is across the floor from where I am. Player B1 picks up the ball and in for an easy lay up. Coach A yells, "That ball was clearly out." I - falling back on the 'you don't call what you don't see' rule - say, "I can't see the whole floor by myself." (It wasn't a question of knowing who hit it out...I didn't even have clue that it was out.)

Next time down the floor here comes the Coach who's running the camp, putting on the stripes. She says, "At least I can help call the lines."

Personally, I will never plan to do a game by myself. I will if I have to, but I won't like it (and probably no one else will either.)

[ChrisSportsFan]

IMO, solo games are more than twice as tough, you'll get no breaks from anyyone (coaches, players, fans). You said the games are "more friendly than intense", why then are they so worked up? If it's a low budget league, then the players/teams pay minimal to play and if they've now decided they want to upgrade their refereeing, then it's time they pay both you and your partner. If things get to bad, they could always go back to the old way of calling their own fouls, etc.

There's alot you could gain from this solo experience but also some bad habits could develop. Hey, if it's something you want to continue with, let them know "we're all out here for some fun and exercise and that you won't yell at them when they miss a layup".

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

That's not what Dan told me at camp!!

Nope, what I said was you'll probably get 1 or 2 right...eventually.

BTW working solo for a new guy is tough but it can be a good learning experience, especially if you do a couple a week. IMO there's no need to give pregame apologies & warnings, just call the games as consistently as you can and learn to hand out T's when needed.