As we approach the new season, our unit's governing board of directors is going to be asked to consider requiring some level of minimum physical conditioning as a requirement to be assigned games. I know that locally the soccer officials must pass a conditioning standard. There are some officials in our unit who seem like heart attacks waiting to happen. Do any of your associations require some type of physical testing?

Not us.

Not us either.

Peace

Nope!

Does being alive count as a minimum standard?

In our area, almost all of the small schools hire the officials, so the only "standards" are if the coach doesn't think you are totally inept, and you are available that night. In the larger conferences where there is an assignor, it's up to them to decide if you are able to work their games. It's still subjective, however, because I have seen some officials get games because they are great from a judgement and people skills standpoint, but they still look like they could keel over at any moment.

Does ours ever. Seems like all we ever do is physical conditioning. Oh wait, that's the Marine Corps not the local bball association.

We don't but I would be in favor of adding such a requirement just to give conditioning more awareness. It's not a problem in our association but if we focused a little more on conditioning maybe we would see less injuries.

Nope. If you have a pulse, even a weak one, you're in. Our ratings system takes physical abilities into account to some extent so an official who struggles to keep up will end up getting assigned to lower level games.

Z

Not us either. However, to get State playoff games, appearance is a big requirement. You can be a horrible ref and look fit and trim and still get playoff games.

When I first came into CBOA (the Northeast's college officials' association), we were required to pass a doctor's physical each year. But we don't even have to do that anymore.

Up here, If you can walk, you can ref.