Games you do.

[JRutledge]

I was just wondering, how does everyone get games? I know this is something that has been talked about before, but how do you get games and who determines that you move up or not. Is it your state, is it an assignor, or is it an association or even an AD? I work in a state that I get games from several different sources, I just want to know how that relates to other across the country?

[DanIvey]

In our Association we have a list. The list starts with the Number 1 Official on down to Number 70 or so. This is the Official's ranking. We are ranked two ways.
One: Our peers rank us at the end of the year. Our peers give us a rating of points.
25 points- The highest rating. You are capable of doing post season play.
20 points- You are capable of working 4A/3A/2A/1A/B Varsity games.
15 points- You are capable of working lower level Varsity games.
10 points- You are capable of working J.V. games
5 points- You are capable of working Frosh/Soph games

Two: The Varsity Head Coaches at each school we serve rate us. The coaches make a list of officials 1-20 that they want to officiate their Varsity games. Number 1 being the best.
This is the list our Assigning Secretary goes from to assign officials to each school. (Coaches have power in this association)

The two methods are then tallied and a "Master List" is formed...otherwise known as the "pecking order".

1. John Doe
2. Jane Doe
3. Joe Ref
4. etc. all the way to approx. 70. (and this is just the boys assoiciation...some officails do both girls and boys games.)

To review: You may have an official that is ranked 45 on the "Master List" still get a Varsity game, if a Coach from that school ranked the official on his "list". That official might not work another Varsity game but he gets the one he "deserves" because the Coach wants him.

Sidenote: We serve 5/4A schools, 2/3A schools, 3/2A schools, 3/1A schools and 4/B schools.

Our District/Regional assignments are given to officials that are chosen by Coaches and Athletic Directors. These officials are chosen at special meetings before the playoffs.

Officials are not chosen for district assignments according to the "Master List". So it is possible to have lower ranked officials working playoff games and a higher rated official sitting at home, with no playoff games. (Again, power lies within the school and administrators.)

State Assignments are handed out according to the "Master List". (We have 4 offcials, from our Association, going to "State" this year.)

[BktBallRef]

In what state does this chaos exist?

[JRutledge]

That sounds way to complicated for me. Why do you just not give people who are availible games at the level that they able to work. You guys seem to make scheduling way too complicated.

In my State in and in my area, there is a pecking order depending on the assignor. But in the Chicago area alone, there has to be about 20 different assignors for all the conferences. Each has their guys or gals and hires who they want for certain games, and if you are acceptable in the particular conference (depends on the conference too) you do a few games. It is really not that complicated. I am sure the assignors do not feel that way, but it is obvious who gets the big games by the experience and talent, but some assignors do not have that much choice.

As I said their is a pecking order of some kind, and certain officials are going to do the so called big games all the time. Some are going to get the tournament games or at least the big tournament games (Proviso West Tournament Championship for example) and the rest are going to be doing the "lower" level games. We only have two classes, so their is not always a big deal made by the the classes. Because at least in the Chicago area, most schools are AA (big schools) unless you are talking about a couple leagues like the Catholic Leagues all over the area. Most of those schools are class A, and getting in the Chicago Catholic League is as hard as any to do a varsity game. I am sure there is more to it, but that scratches some of the surface.

[donfowler]

Speaking from NC.
Everyone is registered with a booking agent that is approved by the state association. Each booking agent has various conferences in which he/she assigns games.

When I worked in WV (many years ago) the secretary of the officials group assigned conference games. Non-conference games were up to the home coach.

[reffingrook82]

Hey, I was going to email you but for some reason I cannot get through via the forum. If you want, give me an email and we'll talk about Chicago camps and such.

Thanks,

reffingrook82

[hoopsrefBC]

In our local assocation we have an educator, who classifies each official into one of 5 categories. 5 being the highest capable of JC/University men it progess down from there with JV being level 2. He classifies each official through

1. Personal knowledge (evaluations / working with them)
2. Recommendation from Senior Officials
3. Input from other eg.coaches, AD's, camp recommendations

Before being moved up to a new level, a formal structured evaluation will be done. Only after this will an official move up.

Furthermore, our educator supplies a ranking of officials to our allocator who assigns officials games. Our association covers about 2000 Varsity and JV games a year with about 80 officials working those. Personally this year i'll work about 80 'AAA' B+G games, 20 JV games and 18 junior college games. By the way, i'm a full time college student.

SH
keep smiling

[KDM]

Much simplier in Tennessee. Games are assigned on a local level (association) by an assigning officer and supervisor(s). To be eligible for post-season, they must attend a 'state-sponsored' camp ($175) once every 3 years. There is no rating system by the coaches. Tried that before, and it became a 'personality' contest. It became obvious that ability, judgement, and fairness wasn't a prerequisite for the coaches. It was all about, 'what will they do for me'. The officials that go to camp, in most cases, are given preference on assignments. Of course, there are exceptions. Most assigners and supervisors realize the importance of feedback from the coaches, AD's, or principles. Some of these people are 'fair and unbiased' in their opinions and some are not. The assigner and supervisor(s) must decipher the info from personal observation, watching videos, official's opinions, and that of coaches and administrators.
Also, the 'intangibles' must also be weighed. Such as, test scores, particpation in scrimmages/jamborees and local meetings, willingness to help other officials, character, and so forth.