Regular Partner or Not

[Hartsy]

18 scheduled games this season, and I have about 14 different partners to work with, all two person crews. I actually like it this year, because I'm new at this and figure to pick up a lot of good (and some bad) advice and observations.

Is working with a different partner every game pretty standard, or do most of you seek to work as teams? Around here it seems that most of the varsity level crews work together every game, but not so much any other level.

Hartsy

[Adam]

Originally posted by Hartsy
18 scheduled games this season, and I have about 14 different partners to work with, all two person crews. I actually like it this year, because I'm new at this and figure to pick up a lot of good (and some bad) advice and observations.

Is working with a different partner every game pretty standard, or do most of you seek to work as teams? Around here it seems that most of the varsity level crews work together every game, but not so much any other level.

Hartsy

That's pretty much how it is here, too. Varsity games are generally scheduled as crews, and the lower level stuff schedules individual officials.

[Back In The Saddle]

Around here you pretty much work with a different partner every game, even in varsity.

[TimTaylor]

Originally posted by Hartsy
18 scheduled games this season, and I have about 14 different partners to work with, all two person crews. I actually like it this year, because I'm new at this and figure to pick up a lot of good (and some bad) advice and observations.

Is working with a different partner every game pretty standard, or do most of you seek to work as teams? Around here it seems that most of the varsity level crews work together every game, but not so much any other level.

Hartsy

I think a lot depends on the way it's organized. Our association has around 325 members and a single elected commissioner that does all game assignments. We serve roughly of 200 schools, and last season I believe we provided officials for just under 7000 games (Juulie/Camron, please correct me here if I'm wrong).

To my knowledge, everything is assigned individually, not as a crew. Availability is a major factor as is point of departure, expecially for early games, so occasionally you'll find yourself repeatedly scheduled with the same partner for that reason.

[ChrisSportsFan]

around here, the Assignor schedules one person then the other and if necessary the third. we usually work with different people but sometimes the same. i don't think much is intential if you get same partner for multiple assignments. i had some Illinois AD's asking me if I was going to get a reciprocal and they all wanted to know who is my regular partner so I guess that's how they do it in SW IL.

[imaref]

Originally posted by Hartsy
18 scheduled games this season, and I have about 14 different partners to work with, all two person crews. I actually like it this year, because I'm new at this and figure to pick up a lot of good (and some bad) advice and observations.

Is working with a different partner every game pretty standard, or do most of you seek to work as teams? Around here it seems that most of the varsity level crews work together every game, but not so much any other level.

Hartsy

Here in southern Wisconsin, assignors will contract crews whenever possible. I work with a regular partner and we work roughly 48 games together. I also work with other senior level officials so we build a network of alternate "crews" if games need to be filled for some reason.

Wisconsin has "Conference Commissioners" who basically do all the assigning for their particular conferences. AD's/Coaches generally contract officials for scrimmages, non-conference and tournament contests. The state association (WIAA) assigns all post-season tournaments leading to the State Tournament. These assignments are based on official's ratings from coaches, number of varsity games, conferences worked, NFHS exam scores from I & II, WIAA evaluator reports, previous post-season experience and, I shouldn't say this....but "politics" can play a role too. (Politics shouldn't be a part of this....officials should be rated on "OBJECTIVE" criteria only!).

Happy New Year!

wl

[zebraman]

Around here (Northwest Washington State), we get different partners almost every game. I enjoy working with new people and getting to know all the officials better.

Z

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by zebraman
Around here (Northwest Washington State), we get different partners almost every game. I enjoy working with new people and getting to know all the officials better.

Z

Same in KW, Ontario. Same for me.

[tjones1]

Different partners almost every game here. Although (probably like all of us), I have people who I really enjoy working with and people who I don't enjoy working with.

[ref18]

Up in Hamilton, everything's assigned individually, although I seem to do a lot of games with my father, so it's like I have a regularly scheduled partner most of the time.

[Rich]

Originally posted by imaref

Here in southern Wisconsin, assignors will contract crews whenever possible. I work with a regular partner and we work roughly 48 games together. I also work with other senior level officials so we build a network of alternate "crews" if games need to be filled for some reason.

Wisconsin has "Conference Commissioners" who basically do all the assigning for their particular conferences. AD's/Coaches generally contract officials for scrimmages, non-conference and tournament contests. The state association (WIAA) assigns all post-season tournaments leading to the State Tournament. These assignments are based on official's ratings from coaches, number of varsity games, conferences worked, NFHS exam scores from I & II, WIAA evaluator reports, previous post-season experience and, I shouldn't say this....but "politics" can play a role too. (Politics shouldn't be a part of this....officials should be rated on "OBJECTIVE" criteria only!).

Happy New Year!

wl

I have a regular partner too, but I'm in the same location as imaref. Besides some 3-person games I picked up in IL, I'll work all my games (WI, 2-whistle) with 4 total partners this season -- one of them only for one game, one for 4 games, one for 2 games, and about 30 with the fourth guy. For playoff availability here, you are expected to name your partner and you are expected (I believe) to work a pretty large number of games with that person before you get assigned games.

My partners (all of them) are great officials, which makes it fun on the court for me. Of course, because we choose our partners here, I can avoid people I wouldn't want to work with. Advantages? Yes. Disadvantages? Yes.

--Rich

[BktBallRef]

I have two officials who partner with me on a regular basis. I'm listed as the R for all games but it's more of a crew chief position. We rotate working R, U1, & U2. I enjoying the crew concept. Working with the same partners each night creates greater continuity and more consistent calls, I think.

The R is usually the veteran member of the crew. The crews usually consist of three officials of varying degrees of experience and skill but I have a very balanceed crew. For 5 years, I was the youngest and least experienced member of a different three man crew before getting the crew chief position. The booking supervisor will communicate with the R on each crew with regards to time/site changes, issues with the team, etc.

I get an opportunity about a half dozen times a season to fill in with other crews. I enjoy it but I always look forward to getting back with my regular group.

[oatmealqueen]

We have a group of about 6 of us who have been together as a crew for over 20 years in Northern MI. We rotate around Varsity & JV during the year. During tournaments, however, we get assigned individually.

[JRutledge]

I work in only one conference that allows this as a rule. Every other assignor for the most part usually likes to assign who they like to a game.

When I lived in Western Illinois, I did have regular partners. As a matter of fact it was very difficult to get games without having a regular partner.

Peace

[OverAndBack]

For a relatively new guy like myself, the opportunity to work with a variety of different partners is great. I find something I can learn from every person I work with in both sports I do.

I imagine if you'd been doing it a while and had a really good partnership with somebody, it would be enjoyable, too.