Sad, but typical in HS officiating.

Just learned that my game is a go. :)

[Edited by Nevadaref on Nov 28th, 2004 at 12:20 AM]

Calling someone on Tuesday for a Saturday game is a bit premature. Call me Thursday or Friday, fine. But Tuesday?

Just following orders.

At our Monday meeting, our assigner said to call tomorrow (Tuesday). So I called Tuesday. :)

As it turns out, my assigned partner gave back the game or for some other reason couldnt make it. Or so I found out when my new partner showed up on Saturday 15 minutes prior to game time. He was a real cool guy and I enjoyed running with him. I'll post more about the game later. But he got the call from the assigner that morning to show up and do the game with me.

Clark

I make all my calls for the week on Sunday afternoon while I'm watching the NFL. Nobody has a game, so I get most guys/gals at home. If there's any uncertainty on Sunday, I can follow up with a phone call or email later in the week. But it's just much more convenient for me to make 5 or 6 phone calls at once, rather than remember to call throughout the week, when I'm already out at games most nights.

Doesn't make it right or wrong; it's just how I do it.

Chuck,
I know several guys here that do it that way too. While it doesn't really serve as a reminder that you have a game the next day or that evening, as a call at work would, it does get the initial contact made. Out here where travel arrangements frequently need to be made by the officials, the advance notice is even preferable.
I guess a reminder call could also be made.
But hey, I'm lucky if the guys that I work with call me at all before the game, and even more fortunate if they ever speak to me again after! :)

Sure, sure. I find most of my contact is via email these days. Of course, I work 80% of my games with the same person, so we talk pretty frequently anyway.

Four games in now (3 boys varsity, 1 men's juco) and two more scheduled by the end of November. I can't remember the last time I had six in by the end of November.

I email everyone on Saturday or Sunday for the entire week. If I have a Monday game, I do it on Friday or Saturday. The primary purpose in my communication is to verify that our schedules agree about date, time, and place. If they agree 2 days ahead they'll agree 4 or 5 days ahead.

A reminder?!? I'm not their mother. How do you forget you have a game?!?!?!? Do they forget to go to work too? :D

Well, this is my thought, too -- I have a contract with a date/place/time -- how could I screw this up?

A quick email to arrange travel/meeting time is all that's necessary -- certainly not a "reminder" of anything.

Our association require confirming game date/time/place with our partners. We are penalized a game fee if our partner doesn't show and we didn't attempt to make contact.

It looks bad on the association to have a single referee show up when two are expected.

Plus, there could be a miscommunication in the game details. I've called partners before and found out that they had a different date or that they didn't know they were even on the game.

This is the main thing. Schools and assigners forget to inform everyone when something changes.

And once a partner called me, and I didn't know that I was on the game. He saved my bacon!

Really? You show up and cover the game solo, your "partner" stays at home and YOU get fined!
BTW, how does your association prove that you didn't attempt to make contact? I'm thinking that this fine doesn't get levied very often.

They one who doesn't show up gets fined in any case...they don't get paid for the game and they get fined and additional game fee.

The proving is basically honor. When asked directly "Did you contact your partner?" most people are honest.

TN,
Rave on. We've all been that psyched and pumped and remember our first games. There will be nights that are great and nights you'll wonder why in the world you're doing this. You'll have great partners and the partners from your nightmares some nights. But, if we didn't love it we wouldn't be doing it.
Keep up the posts on how your games go.