Partner wearing "Bling"

[jdccpa]

The local AD assigned me to a junior high school game last week with a local college kid as my partner. (The son of one of the local teachers.)

I'm standing on the court when my partner shows up 5 minutes before game time and walks across the court towards me. I could not believe my eyes!

He had on white sneakers, grey sweat pants, a zebra shirt with a turtle neck shirt, an outsized wristwatch, a sea shell necklace, three "cancer bracelets" and a circular earring in his ear. (I had just finshed telling one girl to take a hard barrette out of her hair.) He had played on the local high school team two years ago that won a state title so he has seem plenty of basketball officials.

I told him that he had to take it all off before he could ref with me. His response was: "Your kidding me right!"
He decided that he would only take off the wrist watch and said again: "Your kidding me right!". I went back into the locker room and tried calling the AD on my cell but she had already left for the day.

I went back out on the court and told him one of us was not going to ref the game and seeing as I was the patched official he should go home and that I would work the game solo.

At which point he left and I did the game by myself.

The next day I called the local AD and told her what had happened. My partner (and his mother) had alread met with the AD. The AD proceeded to tell me that I did not have the authority to send him off the floor; and besides: "he needed the money for college and had always wanted to be a ref". I offered to sit with him and point him in the right direction but she said that she would have a talk with him before he does another game. She also said that she has me working with him again next week. Every other game I have ever done for her I have worked with another patched official.

The AD gives me about 15 games a year, which I enjoy doing because both the middle school and high schools are only a mile from my home. My regular assigner would typically be sending me an hour out of town for the same money.

What should I do? Let it go and run the risk of another pre-game confrontation with this kid or take a stand and refuse to work with him and run risk of losing 15 games next season?

[mick]

Originally posted by jdccpa
What should I do? Let it go and run the risk of another pre-game confrontation with this kid or take a stand and refuse to work with him and run risk of losing 15 games next season?

In Michigan, we are not allowed to work with an "un-patched " partner for NFHS games. One of us must go, or the patched official is punished.

If we did not have that rule, I would work the game in accordance with my agreement.
mick

[BktBallRef]

I wonder if the insurance company that provides catastrophic onsurance coverage for the school knows that she is using unpatched officials for her games.

[imaref]

Sounds to me that your assignor needs to get it together! Too bad you were put in that position to have to tell the "newbie" how to grow up. If this person really wants to be an official, he should get started the correct way....first, check the attitude...then conform with appropriate attire.

In Wisconsin, games at the middle school/junior high up to high school freshmen, JV and Varsity all require a minimum of two "registered" officials before the game can even begin!

Sounds to me this is an issue that needs to be addressed. Aren't there insurance liabilities caused by assigning "non-patched" people to work these games? Lots of other issues here too!

Good luck....you did right in my book!

wl

[tjones1]

Around here, junior high schools who are members of the IESA only require one patched official. But they always hire two. They just do that as a last minute thing or if an official would happen to get hurt on the court...something of that nature.

[Love2ref4Ever]

I see officials with rope chains..rings on damn near all there fingers..and once with an ear ring....Some officials just don't care about there appearance...Just the check!

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by Love2ref4Ever
I see officials with rope chains..rings on damn near all there fingers..and once with an ear ring....Some officials just don't care about there appearance...Just the check!

I don't see them in our area. If our guys wear anything like that, they're taking a chance on being suspended if caught- and they know it. We issue conduct rules at the start of each year and we take them seriously. Our insurance also does not allow us to referee with "unpatched" officials either, fwiw.

[Junker]

If it were me, I'd tell the AD that if he shows up not in proper uniform next game, he'll be working it alone. I understand it's a fun and convenient place to work, but you have to consider that if this is the way they're running their program, do you want to be affiliated with it?

[SMEngmann]

Originally posted by Junker
If it were me, I'd tell the AD that if he shows up not in proper uniform next game, he'll be working it alone. I understand it's a fun and convenient place to work, but you have to consider that if this is the way they're running their program, do you want to be affiliated with it?

I think this is the appropriate response. The AD doesn't seem to take professionalism too seriously if she would be willing to let an unpatched official even appear that way to work. Her condoning of this guy's appearance and her willingness to allow him to work (obviously untrained) is a knock by her on officials in general. Kind of the, well anybody can do it, mentality. I'd be wary of working for her personally.

Also, with regard to the kid, obviously nobody told him what to do, so maybe you could have been a little less confrontational (of course I wasn't there). Explain to him how officials should dress and why they shouldn't wear jewelery (the fact that you told a player to take some off is reason enough for consistency), and offer to help out. I don't know what type of attitude the kid had, but you could have been more positive with him and established yourself as sort of a mentor to him rather than acting standoffish and alienating him. I doubt he'll show up the same way next week, do the game and try to mend fences. If he truly wants to be an official, he'll make the effort to improve.

[rainmaker]

Seems to me that Padgett's standard response is very appropriate here. TO the partner who won't take off jewelry, "My insurance won't cover the liability suit if a player gets hurt, so I won't work the game if you have that stuff on." Then go home and call insurance people. Get final ruling, and then call AD and say, "I won't work with that stuff on the floor if he shows up with it again, because of insurance. And if this is how you want your games run, I won't work any more of them at all."

Period.

[zebraman]

I went to a Pac-10 men's game last night (Oregon State at Washington) and one of the three officials had a gold chain on. Most of the time you couldn't see it, but sometimes it was visible and obvious because of the glare. Very tacky, IMHO.

Z

[mick]

1. bling bling
n. synonym for expensive, often flashy jewelry sported mostly by African American hip-hop artists and middle class Caucasian adolescents.


mick

[footlocker]

middle school game. This sounds like a step up from around here.

[ref18]

I once had a partner with one of those big cubic zirconias in his ear. Lucky for him the assignor showed up half way through the game for a quick peek at the officiating. At half time, the official was instructed to remove the earring by the assignor and I don't think I've seen him ref again with it in.

BTW we are allowed to wear gold chains, but they are to be kept underneath our shirts. I personally don't wear anything like that off the court, so I'm not worried about having to take it off when I officiate.

[JRutledge]

What does having a "patch" has to do with liability of the school? Unless there is some organization that is setting some type of standards, not sure how liability is going to be greater by an unlicensed official that officiates a basketball game. I could see having a license might give the official more insurance from some liability, but not sure how this gives the school more liability? If that is the case than anyone that assigns an AAU game must have a licensed official at every game? So what if a college official is working a game. Are primary college officials not qualified to work AAU or Men's League games?

I guess I do not understand what having a license has to do with liability?

Peace