Conflict of Interest?

[TheRefinator]

Question: How does your league/board look upon officials who take games where members of their immediate family are playing. Should officials refuse all games in a league/division if their son/daughter's school is in that same league/division?

Example: I worked a JV game the other night and found out my partner had a son who played on the V for the same school system. I realize that he wasn't officiating the V game, but a couple of the JV players from the opposing team were swing and did get some V minutes. If someone were to catch on, couldn't this lead to some unwanted headaches?

[BktBallRef]

Everybody is from somewhere, knows somebody from somewhere or is kin to somebody for somewhere. While I wouldn't work a school where my kid was playing that sport, I think it's overboard to expect an official to not work any games in the same conference. Even if your partner was officiating the varsity game, he wasn't officiating a game that his kid was playing in.

I work for a school system. There are 12 high schools and 16 middle schools. Should I refuse all games where a school from the system is playing a team from outside?

[JRutledge]

There are no specific policies. The only thing is that for the playoffs we can tell the state which school we are affiliated with and get them to not assign us to those schools. Other than that it is up to us or the assignor not to accept or assign those games where there are possible conflicts. But I have worked games at my old high school and did not know as much people at the school I graduated from as a school I officiated many times over the years.

Peace

[eventnyc]

I agree that we shouldn't work a game in which a relative was working:

I was working a MS Football Game a couple of years ago. All of a sudden I start hearing my last name being called out. When we met the coaches, we didn't use our last names. After about the third time hearing my name, I realized that my nephew attended the school and was playing. I couldn't tell who he was because of the helmets. Someone went down due to injury and you guessed it, it was him. It was almost the fourth quarter when he broke his wrist. Believe it or not, he didn't even realize I was reffing his game.

I would have prefered not to ref that game only to avoid the appearance of impropriety. I have worked three basketball games (JV Girls) played by my hometown school, this year. Last night was the third. I had no problem doing it, as I was totally impartial (as I should be). The biggest problem was their coach, who is a boy's official that I work with.

[Ref Daddy]

We declare on annual association sign-ups if we have immediate realitives or if we are employee's in the school system and specifically which school it is. We are discouraged from working those games.

In meeting this came up. If you find yourself on the floor with a player you are quite familiar with from outside association we are "emncouraged" to mention it pre game to each coach.

Did it one time this year. An employee of mine's kid appeared at an assignment (B-9). Dad was in the hallway and stands. We spoke - he ID'd his kid. I mentioned it to coach's, went in one ear and out the other.

[David B]

Originally posted by TheRefinator
Question: How does your league/board look upon officials who take games where members of their immediate family are playing. Should officials refuse all games in a league/division if their son/daughter's school is in that same league/division?

Example: I worked a JV game the other night and found out my partner had a son who played on the V for the same school system. I realize that he wasn't officiating the V game, but a couple of the JV players from the opposing team were swing and did get some V minutes. If someone were to catch on, couldn't this lead to some unwanted headaches?

Our state registration for playoff assignments and our local association lets you list the schools that you would not want to call due to conflicts of interest.

Our local association is very strict on this, but a few years ago we had a state baseball playoff in which one of the umpires had a son playing. It was really bad as he actually made a couple of very questionable calls.

I believe that the man involved was suspended and their association got reprimanded and no playoff games for the next year.

Thanks
David

[Camron Rust]

My oldest will start HS in two years. I will not generally work any games involving that school at any level while they're in HS. There are dozens of other schools to work at.

If an association/area has lots of officials and covers lots of schools, there is no reason to even work that school.

If it's a small area or there are few officials around, it might be necessary to occassionally work a game for your child's school but I think if they play at any level in that school, that school should be avoided.

[Nevadaref]

FYI Here's the way it works where I am:
Constitution of the Nevada state officials Association
Revised June 12, 2000
...

4. No school employee may officiate at any varsity football, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, or diving contests in which his school is participating -- which thereby excludes cross country, golf, tennis, track & field and swimming. At those areas where the approved officials' associations cannot furnish or supply officials for a contest, employees of either of the schools involved may officiate a contest by mutual consent of participating schools.

5. No relative of a participating athlete may officiate at any varsity football, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, or diving contests in which his school is participating -- which thereby excludes cross country, golf, tennis, track & field and swimming. At those areas where the approved officials' associations cannot furnish or supply officials for a contest, employees of either of the schools involved may officiate a contest by mutual consent of participating schools.

[TheRefinator]

Originally posted by Nevadaref
FYI Here's the way it works where I am:
Constitution of the Nevada state officials Association
Revised June 12, 2000
...

4. No school employee may officiate at any varsity football, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, or diving contests in which his school is participating -- which thereby excludes cross country, golf, tennis, track & field and swimming. At those areas where the approved officials' associations cannot furnish or supply officials for a contest, employees of either of the schools involved may officiate a contest by mutual consent of participating schools.

5. No relative of a participating athlete may officiate at any varsity football, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, or diving contests in which his school is participating -- which thereby excludes cross country, golf, tennis, track & field and swimming. At those areas where the approved officials' associations cannot furnish or supply officials for a contest, employees of either of the schools involved may officiate a contest by mutual consent of participating schools.

So you are saying that it is o.k. in your state for a father to officiate his sons JV/Middle School game in any of those sports?

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by Ref Daddy
We declare on annual association sign-ups if we have immediate realitives or if we are employee's in the school system and specifically which school it is. We are discouraged from working those games.

The difference here is that I work out of the central office, so I may be at any of 86 schools during a day. We do have officials who are teachers and those individuals are not assigned to games involving their school.

Originally posted by TheRefinator
So you are saying that it is o.k. in your state for a father to officiate his sons JV/Middle School game in any of those sports?

He's saying that his state, like many others, doesn't address situations at any level other than varsity.

[dblref]

At the start of the season, we fill out what we call a "close-out" sheet indicating the dates and schools that we can't work. My wife works in the guidance office at the city HS (only 1) and even though my association doesn't cover this school anymore, I still list it on my close-out sheet because they sometimes play out of district/region schools that we do cover.

I used to officiate soccer also and 3-4 years ago, I had to fill in a game at her school. I was there to watch (friend is head coach) and the scheduled center referee was involved in an accident on the way to the school. Neither of the other 2 officals wanted to do the center -- didn't think they were experienced enough -- so I was sort of "forced" into doing the game. They didn't want to do it 2-man. I explained the situation to the visiting coach and he didn't have a problem with the game. Turned out to be a good game that went into double OT and ended in a tie. It was a non-district game so it could end in a tie.

[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by BktBallRef

He's saying that his state, like many others, doesn't address situations at any level other than varsity.

That's correct. Varsity is the only level that the state office is concerned about.
The officials association can put stricter limitations on it, if they so desire, but what I gave is the minimum that is required.
Could a father work his son's JV game? Yes. Would he? Probably not. He always has the option to black out that school himself.
Many teachers do the Fr and JV games at their respective schools though because they are often played in the early afternoon and teaching is one of the few professions that has those hours available. Travel is also a concern and those people are right there already. So at the lower levels it just makes sense.

We have to declare on our annual registration form for our local association. They just ask for schools that we MIGHT have a conflict with, and what reason the conflict may exist. I always declare the school where my cousin is the Dean of Students as off-limits, especially for girls basketball since he's the head coach. So basically, that leaves it up to the assignor to decide if the conflict of interest is enough to warrant my not working any games for that school.

As for the state association, if you apply to work for the post-season, we have to list any schools that we might have a conflict with, including: the school we graduated from, schools where our immediate relatives are students, or where we have relatives working in that school. I understand immediate relatives to include cousins and nieces and nephews, as well as aunts and uncles.

[ChrisSportsFan]

I work games on the boys side at my daughters HS. I wouldn't take a game on the girls side though. When these games were offered, I explained to my assignor and he agreed to stay away from girls games there but he had no problem with me working on the boys side. I don't follow their boys team so it's no big deal to me.

[rwest]

I'm going from memory here; I don't have the document in front of me, but I believe GHSA has it in their bylaws for officials that they should not officiate a game where their children's school is involved, whether they are playing or not.