Yup, Intramural Officials are the Problem

[Randal]

I actually volunteered a couple years ago to take over the training of the "in house" officials for the school district that my kids go to (this is sort of like intermurals). The program includes games at 3rd through 9th grade. The officials are high school athletes.

We actually take the training seriously, and less than half the high schoolers who try, make it through the program. (It warms the cockles of my heart when I see the vasity coach ask one of "my people" for an explanation of a call or a rules interpretation during a vasity game.)

Nonetheless, the single most important activity leading to a huge recognized "improvement" in the quality of my officials was the instigation of a mandatory rules meeting that the coaches must attend at the begining of the season.

I believe that ignorance of the rules on the part of the players and coaches (I don't much care about the fans) is the cause of the vast majority of disputes. As such, I believe that the system needs to be thinking about how to reduce this ignorance.