I have a question and just want general feelings or comments. Why is overtime frowned on by some officials? I made a comment in another thread, and just thought I would see what everyones feelings are about it? I think we get paid for the game and overtime is an extension of the regular game. Comments????

At the core of it you have officials that are lazy and think the night is about them. Most of the officials are so concerned about getting to bar a couple minutes earlier, they obsess over things like that. I am personally not in the camp that believes that getting to the bar is more important than the game. I do not drink beer so I do not care how quickly I can go out drinking or getting home. I live for close games. Close games challenge me to be sharp when the emotions are high. A lot of officials like the easy way out and do not like to be challenged.

Peace

As a generalization, overtime is frowned upon in varsity games by those people who are only doing it for the money. For many others of us, overtime is an exciting, fun and welcome addition to the joy we have already experienced that evening.

In subvarsity, overtime is frowned upon by nearly everyone because of the way it backs up the whole schedule.... Still, frown or no frown, I don't think we should change the way we call a game. The game we are working, at whatever level, is at that time the most important game in the world.

I have heard officials say things about avoiding overtime but they were only <b>kidding</b>. There are some veterans who like to walk into the locker room after overtime of a JV game and say things like, "Who was the referee for this game? It's the refs fault if the game went OT!" This is just a running joke and I have never heard anyone say it seriously.

I love the intensity and focus of a game that goes to the wire. I had a game that ended after two overtimes earlier this year and all three of us mentioned in the locker room afterwards that we wished it could have gone a couple more overtimes.

Z

Sometimes I just don't feel like officiating overtime, I just pray that one team will hit their freethrows so we don't go to OT or hit a shot. But I certainly wouldn't change the way I call the game, if a foul is there I'm going to call it.

Had It Happen To Me
 

I haven't told anyone but my wife. Partner been reffing for about 15 years. Won't go to the meetings/clinics so he stays at Frosh/JV level. He is okay with that. Gets home early etc. tied up ,roughly 20 seconds to go, Time out. He comes to me and says jokingly ???? there will be no overtime. He calls a foul at buzzer. It was in my area, he hasn't reached all night,actually he was a pretty good ref, then tweet. I didn't see anything close to deserving a whistle. I dunno. Kid hits the second one. game over. Coach is livid at my partner.

I am squarely in the camp of most important game is the one I am working. To seperate myself from the money refs (and all that that implies) I really make sure to Work really hard, hustle and stay professional during those 22-19 Frosh girls games. It is starting to pay off. My ratings are are coming in just below ready to be a Varsity ref.

Re: Had It Happen To Me
 

The 22-19 frosh games aren't the hardest. The hardest ones are 65-12 frosh games of either gender. But at least they don't go into overtime!!

here in indiana i have been on 2 BV 4 -ot games, and just this past holidays had a BV 5 ot game. the guys working behind us gave us some grief. just kind of a running joke, if you let it go ot, then we didn't do our job.
i agree, we are getting paid to do a job. so i do it.

A team was down by two the other night. The girl took a 3-pt shot at the buzzer and the defender backed into her as she was coming down. I called the foul. She hit two of three to send the game into OT ! My co-official stared me down for a minute.....and said, "You just sent us into OT!".....it was in a joking manner.... I think that is usually how it is. Just a joke. OT isn't really that big of a hassle...what's another few minutes?

If they are serious about overtime being a problem they need to move to some other avocation. We do joke about it, and you do not always like it when the Frosh or JV go overtime moving things behind schedule. But if you are a referee you have to love the inensity of a closely fought battle.
or you could have that special girls reserve battle -
half time score Red 24 white 8
end of regulation score Red 32 White 32
and 3 overtimes later red 41 white 40.
the first 4 quaretes sucked but the last 8 minutes were pretty good.

The only thing I say about OT is:

Whoever tossed buys the first round, of soda or whatever, and they can't toss again the next time we work together!

:D