The Old Boy Network (Referee Mag.)

[Ref-X]

When I first started officiating I tried to work rec. league games in the town I live in. This is a small town and there is a tight group of officials that work all the rec. league games. When I first started out I could not work any games in my own town. These guys all know me. They see me at the meetings. This assigner would see me at High school games. In my five years as an official the assigner for these leagues has only called me twice (once was in my second season and the other was last week) because he was in a bind. Both times I politely declined. So I think there is an “old boy net work” out there, but not on a grand scale. I don’t think it will stop someone from moving up the ranks.