Anyone have any suggestions on how to handle this?

I was officiating a game at a summer league with someone I've never worked with before. Early in the game, I'm trail opposite the ball with the ball on the lead's side below the free-throw line. As an entry pass to the post is being thrown, I see the post defender bump the offensive player in the post, so I call a foul. As I switch with my partner after reporting the foul, he shoots me this dirty look as if to say that either wasn't a foul or that I shouldn't have called it (or both).

About three minutes later, we're in transition and I'm the lead. A cross-court pass gets tipped and goes off the basket support. My partner doesn't blow his whistle right away so I quickly look up to make eye contact with him. Then he blows his whistle to call the ball out of bounds. After retrieving the ball and bouncing it to me, he yells in to me, "Hey, you worry about your area and I'll worry about mine." I ignored him, if for nothing else because I thought it was extremely unprofessional for him to yell something like this across the floor in front of all the players.

Then at halftime, the guy gets in my face about the same thing. I tried to explain both instances. I said that on the foul call, he was looking at the ball in the corner, so I had to watch post play. I also told him on the second play that I never blew my whistle or made a call, that I simply made eye contact with him to make sure he had it. Then the guy starts screaming at me again, saying that I'm refereeing the whole floor.

Any suggestions on how to deal with this, other than requesting never to work with this guy again?

Yup, request that you never work with the guy again.

You won't change him- no matter what you do or say. Just don't let him get to you.

Exercise your right to contact your assignor and tell him to scratch the guy as your partner. This vocation is tough enough without having to work with a knucklehead like that.

Can I ask a ?. Was this guy an older official or a new one.

In the summer time you never know who you are working with. When i do summer stuff I usually tell the assigner that I have a partner. That way you know what you got going on.

Working in the summer is a learn as you go time. You get a lot of different partners, so you can use it all as a learning tool.

I myself use it as a learing and teaching tool. When i work with a younger official, i try to help them with on ball, off ball mechanics.

Never get into an argument, just walk away from him, leave him there standing.

And if you get stuck with him again, call what you see and get it over as quick as possible. If he did not call it in his area, you leave it alone. You will give yourself more headaches.

He was a newer official, doing it for maybe 2-3 years, which made it more alarming to me that he was so standoffish and stubborn.

Well I would just let it go, and get the game over with. He will have to learn on his own.

Some assigner would chew him out later, if it becomes a problem.

The only thing I can add to this discussion is that if I have a partner that starts to "get in my face and scream at me", they will only do it one time. I don't tolerate anyone screaming at me -- partner, player, or coach.

That guy could have the WHOLE floor because he would finish the rest of the game by himself and I would happily tell my assignor why, if and when he asked.
And then I would never work with him again.

I've heard several people talk about this but never actually seen it happen. I have certainly thought it but couldn't bring myself to doing that to the coaches and players. I usually just keep my head up and get-er-done! When coaches ask about his goofy calls, I usually respond with "he'll be here in a minute, you'll have to ask him".

Here's my advice

On the first play you describe- ball was in leads primary and the foul happned on a play with a pass going to the post area. If it was a bump as you describe it may or may not have had an effect on the play and you may have been stretching the call. Unless it was clearly an off-ball call you may think about holding yur whistle.

Unless you saw the whole play-he may have seen something and let it go. Trust your partner. Our goal is to get it right but unless you are sure or had the best angle you may want to hold off...

On the second play.... where were you at in transition? Unless it was off of an initial fast break the ball is his..
why look at him to blow the whistle? Either let it go and if the coach yells tell him you focusing on the players... or if you were in transition it may be your call-Blow it. If he asks tell him why and move on

I would not even go through all that trouble. If the guy is a bad unprofessional official, the word will get around. I would not complain to any assignor. If you work with him again, you know what to expect. If you do not work with him, consider yourself lucky. Maybe you will advance to do games he will never see and he might get the message. The guy will either change or he will stop officiating by choice or by the assignor’s decision.

Peace

Really?
 

Assignors will do that? If I allowed officials to X potential partners, it would be all over. Do you have any idea how much people don't like each other? And, if they do now, just wait a while . . .

Re: Really?
 

Assignors will do that? If I allowed officials to X potential partners, it would be all over. Do you have any idea how much people don't like each other? And, if they do now, just wait a while . . . [/B][/QUOTE]Uh yeah, assignors will do that. Why put people together that don't get along or don't like each other? It never makes for a well officiated game. If an assignor is stuck though, he might still put them together if needed.

Assignors usually don't allow any of their officials to x out any potential partners, but part of the assignor's job certainly is to try and get the right combination of personalities together out there. Keeping incompatible people away from each other when you're assigning crews isn't really a biggie.

Re: Re: Really?
 

You may not know, JR.

In my necks of the woods, there are 2 or 3 officials that when I receive my assignment sheet and their names are on it, I say No right away. If someone calls me by phone and asks for me to fill in, I ask who my P will be. If it is that person(s), I say No.

This is my way of keeping incompatible people away from each other.

Re: Re: Re: Really?
 

If you are completely incompatible with a certain official, then I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to work with him/her. It's not a good situation for yourself or anybody else, including the teams involved. The problem is though that you have to give up those assignments if you do it the way you mentioned. What would happen if you had a heart-to-heart with your assignor instead of just turning down an assignment? Jmo, but I think that any reasonable and competent assignor should know his officials and also know who to put together- or keep apart- to get the best game results. The assignor should also try to find out <b>why</b> an official doesn't want to work with another official. If it's just a personality or philosophical clash between two officials, then it's really no biggie for the assignor. Just try to keep 'em away from each other- unless you happen to get stuck. If one of the officials is acting like the clown mentioned above in this thread, then the assignor should know about that too- and he should also do something about it when he does find out. You don't want people like that representing your association or driving good officials away. Jmo.