I have seen, in a number of contexts, statements to the effect of: You can't make an official do what s/he doesn't want to do. Setting aside for a minute that you *can* make officials do things that they don't want to do (e.g., pay taxes), I want to pose a serious question in the context of the gender equity lawsuits in Michigan and other places: Is it right that officials should be able to choose to work only boys basketball or only girls basketball? Why shouldn't *that* choice be prohibited as unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex?

It's not always illegal to discriminate based on gender. But it's illegal to receive federal money if you discriminate. There are also hiring and firing issues that don't involve federal money, but the point is I can discriminate in how I spend my time. Now if an association discriminated, in how they assigned games, either based on the gender of the ref or the gender of the players, that might be illegal. But an individual can choose not to do girls' games or not to do boys' games if she wants. In that case, it's only herself she's hurting.

I see nothing wrong with an official choosing what games or levels they choose to work. As far as I can see there is nothing that would compel me to either.

That being said. I know there are associations that will say you need to work assigned ball games and that you may get both. In these you can refuse to work one or the other you just may not have as many...

Why would you consider it to be discrimination? I have known of male officials that have chosen to only officiate girls games.

My thinking is that this isn't discrimination because it is the choice of the official and it isn't putting the girls playing the game at any kind of a disadvantage because that official isn't doing the game.

Just my feeling on it.

Don't know how it works in your area, but in ours all HS games (boys & girls) are assigned by the same person. There are over 300 officials in our association, and we all work a mix. I can't speak for others, but personally I have no preference.

With regard to being able to choose to work only boys or girls games, with rare exceptions, officials are independent contractors. As such, they are free to choose to accept or decline any assignment. No one can force you to work for someone you don't want to work for.

Conversely, assigners can (and most probably will) take this into account when assigning games - turn too many back without a good reason & it might affect your future assignments.

Michigan Officials have independent contractor status.
They contract their own games and are not obliged to take or refuse either gender, except as Kelvin showed, an official wants to oblige an assignor or an association.

mick

Tim -- there are quite a few that don't work a mix. There are several men who refuse to do girls' games. And several women who never get any boys' games. The theory of getting a mix, is a great theory, that doesn't always pan out. I'm not judging, just describing.

A case can be made by an official charging they were discriminated against if they were denied assignments because of their gender.

Juulie,

Interesting.........my ratio of assigned games so far this season is exactly 50/50. I knew there are several that for one reason or another don't like working the girls games, but didn't know of any that outright refused.

Not sure the law can do anything about this.
 

I work only Boy's basketball. I personally choose not to work girl’s basketball because I do not like it. Also working both Girl's and basketball games would make me work much more than I am willing to work. Boy's games in our area are usually held on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. If I worked Girl's basketball I would have to work many games on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays which would be much more days that I would desire. I also work 3 sports and I need the off days to do more work to make up for my taking off. I even do not make myself available for Girl's playoffs (which start first) through the state. Not sure how you could make me or anyone that has the other things going on work both. Or for those officials that work college ball, they might work college ball on their off nights or nights when other high school games going on. We are independent contractors and no one can make you do something as a hobby. Just like anyone that is an independent contractor, no one can make them take a job they would rather not do. Many contractors have some specialization or certain type of jobs they can do and others they are not as good at. Officiating is not at all different. You cannot make those do what they are not willing to do or comfortable with.

Peace

In NH we currently have two seperate boards a womens and a mens--you can be on both or either one--seperate tests etc. This will change next year as we go to one Board only. I enjoy doing either myself so it will not be an issue for me, however i do know both some men and women officials who will only do either mens or womens games.

I my part of Michigan, I suspect the high school leagues now will require officials to work both boys and girls basketball. Of course, exceptions will be made for the "superstar" officials.

How can they require officials to do what they would not want to do?

Peace

The leagues will dictate, "if you want to work 10 boys games, you also must work 10 girls games." A take it or leave it package. Your choice will be to work both or none.

Re: Not sure the law can do anything about this.
 

Isn't this what the civil rights laws are designed, in part, to address? An owner who ran a small diner in the South in the 1950s may not have been either willing or comfortable serving non-Whites, but they were made to do so. Clearly, civil rights laws have infringed on individual, not just governmental, "rights." Over time, I think the "laws" have helped to bring about a changed -- albeit far from perfect -- attitude. You say that you don't "like" girls basketball? Perhaps that attitude might change, over time....

This year, I am accepting games only between teams of transgendered post-operative hermaphrodites.

Actually Stan the way it works is that the leagues will continue to schedule through assignors. It will be the assignors who determine who gets what games. Even if you are lucky enough to get a full season schedule in advance you still have the opportunity to give back any dates that conflict with your desired OPEN dates.

After the politics of the vets getting the choice assignments, the rest of us will get offered games as they become available. The more flexible you are with your assignor, the higher standing you may gain; thus in the long run you will get your choice assignments such as all Varsity or all Boys', etc.

Now....the MHSAA could put a requirement for tournament assignments qualifying that an official have 5 boys/5 girls to further augment the current 10 games of Varsity eligibility.

What, no more <s>blonde</s> transgendered post-operative himaphrodites?

Re: Re: Not sure the law can do anything about this.
 

It is different to deny someone an opportunity to requiring someone to work a game they do not want to. You might get some officials quit or decide to work more college ball. I guess you could put in all these requirements, but there are ways around this. I know there is a shortage around the country, why give officials another reason to stop working all together?

Peace

The assignors work for the leagues. If the leagues tell the assignors that they want the best officials working both boys and girls games, the assignors will make it happen. And it will happen because the parents of girls basketball players rightfully will complain loudly (to the coaches, ADs, principals and school boards, if necessary) if their children get stuck with lousy officials while the boys get the good ones.

stan-MI,
So tell me what you anticipate given a fixed number of officials, if an excellent official now works 26 boys games will he be expected to work 26 girls' games, or will he be asked to work 13 games each? :)
mick

*Note: There is no 10 game requirement in effect for the U.P.
mick

You cannot make someone work a type of ball they do not want to work. I do not care how much these individuals complain. I do know of many situations where boy's officials do not call the game the same as the "normal" Girl's officials do and the coaches get really upset. It is a different game to call a game where kids are playing above the rim and kind of physical, to a game where if a girl is touched in the post the coaches are livid because there is not a foul call. One of the reasons I do not call girl's games is because I get much more grief because I do not call the touch fouls that are expected on that side of the game.

Peace

Mick,

For tournament assignments the MHSAA waives the 10 V games requirement?

I agree with you completely. I don't think it will be a good situation, but it's likely to happen.

If you agree, what makes you think that we are the only two that have this opinion? I am sure someone that matters (assignors, ADs, Principals or fans) are not going to like officials working both sides.

Peace

My guess is that most officials will be asked to work 13 of each. Again, exceptions will be made for the "superstars" who will get to work mostly boys games, meaning that the girls will get stuck with less able officials.

The assignors will agree with you and I. So will some ADs. But the ADs and principals will do what's politically correct because they and the parents of girls basketball players don't understand (or refuse to admit, or don't care) that boys and girls play different games.

Right now, with separate seasons, most Michigan officials work both boys and girls basketball. Because there's no overlap, you can adjust your officiating - the degree of contact you can tolerate - pretty easily. As a result, both boys and girls are used to seeing high-caliber officials.

I do not consider myself a high-caliber official. That is for other people to decide. But I am considered to be a Boy's Official. I do not get assigned girls games. And those that ask me to, ask me to work games that first week of the basketball season when the Boy's are not yet allowed to be playing games yet. If I lived in Michigan I would not have a lot of problem working Girls games in the fall. But that would change if I had a choice in the winter. Do not be surprised if officials choose up sides.

Peace

YU.P., ...and rules meeting requirements for officials.
mick

Boys' and girls' basketball are completely different animals. While I enjoy both, they have very different styles of play, and they require different refereeing attitudes.

I think the best solution is not to force good girls' officials to work boys' games or vice versa, but to specialize (from HS varsity on), and encourage good officials to join the girls' track (there are obviously many who wish to join the boys' track). Unfortunately, this is tough as boys' basketball is far superior and far more popular than girls' basketball in many regions of the country.

no doubt, the boys game is different from the girls game and switching back and forth requires an official to adjust. i work both because i'm new to my area and it's the politically correct thing to do and i want to work so i do it. if i could choose, do i have a preference? YES! But it kinda seems like a cop-out for a senior official to tell his assignor that he can work only work bays games because the games are so different. You haven't always worked only BV, and hopefully you've improved over the years, so you should be able to adjust. if that were the case, how do you adjust from NFHS to NCAA?

Again, we all have our preferences but maybe a better excuse could be used.

I think you're right about the very, very best officials.
Learning to adjust is part of their skill development. However, the next couple tiers down in ability, it's pretty difficult. Especially to go back and forth from evening to evening.

The problem is less real than apparent, though, in thinking that the better refs prefer boys' games. I'm not at all sure that's true. Around here at least some of the very best refs have never done anything but girls'. They chose that track early on, because there is less competition and they've moved up more quickly. They probably could compete for the boys' games, but don't see why they should hang around in the middle of the pack, when they are good enough to work the top games. But then, we've got a lot of top quality girls' teams around here, so perhaps our situation is deifferent from many.