How many associations do you guys belong to?
Are you allowed to be a part of multiple associations in your area?
If so, what are some of the conflicts/ issues concerned?

We have multiple assignors (some are in the same association and some are in others) in my area and they all seem to work together (get along) with each other but sometimes you already have a game from one guy and another offers you a better game. I decided a while ago that I won't get off a game for one assignor to get one from another. Do you think being on multiple lists will keep me from ever getting to the top of anyones list?

There are 3 that are fairly close in my area. I'm apart of 2 of them and will probably join the third one before too long.

I belong to 4 basketball associations. I belong to more if you include some of my other sports.

We have multiple assignors here as well. It works much like college basketball. Each assignor works for the conference they assign for and they decide on their own what the criteria are to work games for them. These assignors for the most part are not associated with the associations. Associations are primarily training bodies, not the assigning kind of group.

Peace

A little off topic, but I hope interesting anyway.

About two years ago, I got a call from an assignor to do a rec tournament at a facility just across the Columbia river in Washington state. This was at a "sister" facility to one I work here in Oregon. They were short of refs and needed a few extra for this tournament. I told him I would do it.

When I got my check, it seemed a little short. I called the guy and he told me that he took out dues for the association over there. He said he "forgot" to tell me that the facility would use only association refs from his association. I reminded him that he never told me that. He then asked me if I would just stay in his association, and that in the fall and winter, he would give me assignments for their HS schedule. I told him thanks, but no thanks, and to send me a check for the amount he withheld. He sent me a check drawn on his personal account. I guess he had to leave a record of my membership in case anyone at the facility asked.

Here in Pa, the state governing body (PIAA) requires that an official belong to one, and only one, chapter/association, per sport. Now this doesn't stop officials from getting games from other assignors/chapters...I got varsity games this year from 5 different assignors, including my own. For varsity games, almost all conferences (with the exception of some of the lower classifications) contract out an assignor. These assignors are always affiliated with usually one association, but most assignors have more than one conference. Therefore, the officials in that association usually get first crack at the games in that conference(s), and then if the assignor needs officials from other associations s/he will go get them. For games below varsity, then the assignor will use people from the association s/he belongs to (which again, can only be one, therefore every association has an assignor) almost exclusively.

Our association by-laws state you can be in only one association, so if you join ours, you must drop others. This is typically not a problem, there's not much choice in our geographical area. The assignor uses only association members for games assigned. Individual schools come to the assignor, not complete conferences. Members may take games from outside the association, this mainly is for college games some people work.

In PA, I don't beleve you are permitted to belong to more than one. You are required to belong to one (not necessarily local) in order to maintain your PIAA status.

Here in Cleveland, I belong to two Associations. Some assignors use only one, and some use only the other, and there is one that will only use a referee if (s)he belongs to both!

In Texas TASO, at least in hoops, you are allowed to be a member of multiple chapters, but you must declere a "home" chapter which submits your name for regional and state playoff assignments. I'm sure chapters also assign only "home" chapter officials to their early round playoff games as well.

I belong to 1 association, get plenty of work and for me feel that there is no need to join another group. However, we do have a number of officials who belong to at least 2 associations.

If I were apart of three associations, I'd fall a part.

Consider this apart of my application for annoying grammar guy.

I belong to one, but I kind of moonlight for another when they need me on the recreation side.