Since we have beat rule 10-1-8 into the ground I have an ethical question for the group:

An official works a sport or two for a length of time, 7,8,9,10 years, they get to be pretty good at it, varsity schedule, etc.

Now they take up a new sport. With all of the game management and professionalism experience the have, even though they are soft on the rules of the new sport, they run a good game. Many coaches and parents comment on this.

Here is the sticky part. Should this official take Varsity games for the following year? The official knows from his/her experience in other sports that they probably do not have as good a rules knowledge required for working the Varsity level (heck, some of the coaches probably know more about the rules). Should they take the games, grow into it, and hope something bizarre (like rule 10-1-8) doesn’t happen, or should they decline and gobble up as many middle school and freshman games as they can?

Thoughts?

Brian,
For me, I would catch a cliinic, study the rules as if it was my only sport, and take lower level games before I embarass my crew, or game management.
mick

Three issues come to mind when faced with this type of situation.

First, the games that are played at the "lower levels" are just as important to those kids, parents, coaches, and fans as those at the varsity level. Obviously, most officials start out working rec ball or middle school games. But we get into a routine of thinking, "It's just a middle school game. If he screws up, it's no big deal." It's a good place to learn, grow, and mature but that doesn't lessen the need for solid rules knowledge.

Second, there's need. In my area, there is a huge need for softball and baseball umpires. I know my way around a basketball and a football rule book but I wouldn't know where to start with many of the technical issues in the OBR. I've called hundreds of slow pitch softball and rec league baseball games. But if I signed up to work those sports for our association, I get all the varsity games that I wanted next season. Is that right, wrong, or unethical? I don't know. But it is necessary sometimes.

Third, it would depend a great deal on which sport we're talking about. I wouldn't walk on to a wrestling mat but I worked 6 varsity football games my very first year. In wrestling, you're by yourself, all alone. But there are 4 other guys on the field in football. Wrestling, no where to hide. Football, you can hide a weaker official, in terms of rules knowledge, all night long.

I would take as many varsity level games as given. At the same time, I would be calling everything in site. Middle School, Subvarsity, and non-adult rec leagues. In your second year as a new official in a new sport I doubt if any assignor in his right mind would give you a full varsity schedule. Just 1 to 5 at best. But if you live in one of those areas where you hustle your own games from A.D's, I wouldn't go seeking out varsity but if one or two are offered, I'd take it.

Not so much ethics.
 

I think it depends on the sport you begin to do. If you are doing volleyball or football, you are going to have a totally different situation and experience level or number of officials compared to basketball and baseball.

Now this really depends on the area you live, but in my area, you can get varsity games in your first season whether you have been officiating other sports or not in volleyball and baseball. There are not enough officials to cover the games. So to have officials to cover games, it is not a matter of ethics, it is a matter of common sense.

Now if you are doing a sport like football, you have other crew members to work with. Depending on your position on the crew, your rules knowledge does not need to be that extensive. Your experience might help in handling coaches and players.

Now if you do basketball, I think you have to have much more experience all together. You do not get a free lunch during any basketball game. You and your partners have to call the same things. It does not matter if the partners are people you work with on a regular basis or not, you still have to work with those individuals like a team. The game moves much more faster and the action is pretty constant. You are constantly having to make rulings and blowing your whistle, unlike baseball or football where your position might not have you call anything the entire game. And if you are going to do a basketball game, you need more experience and more rules knowledge to be able to work a game compentently.

In conclusion this is a personal decision. I really do not think it is a matter of ethics at all. It is a determination of what you want to do and what is offered to you. I personally did many varsity game in all my sports during my first two years. I was asked so I did them. This is not for everyone, but maybe again I had a different approach. I did not want to embarrass myself.

Peace