Associations ratings

[tjones1]

Here how it works in Illinois. Rating of 1 through 5 can be given. Here's how they are defined (from our Sports Official Handbook):

1 = State Final Official -- Must be good enough to be assigned to the State Final Tournament. Must be in the top 10% of all officials in the following categories: rule knowledge, physical appearance, mechanics and signals, positioning, game management, attitude/professionalism, consistency, judgment and reaction to pressure.

2 = Sectional Level Official -- Must be good enough to be assigned to a Sectional tournament. Must be in the top 25% of all officials in the following categories: rule knowledge, physical appearance, mechanics and signals, positioning, game management, attitude/professionalism, consistency, judgment and reaction to pressure.

3 = Regional Level Official -- Must be good enough to be assigned to a Regional tournament. Must be in the top 50% of all officials in the following categories: rule knowledge, physical appearance, mechanics and signals, positioning, game management, attitude/professionalism, consistency, judgment and reaction to pressure.

4 = Varsity Level Official -- The official is good enough to be assigned to varsity contests but needs more game experience to become a Regional level official.

5 = Lower Level Contest Only -- This official should be assigned to lower level contests to gain more game experience to become a Varsity level official.

[TwoDot]

Montana rates officials into three categories. Master, Certified and Apprentice. You must be a certified official to work varsity games unless there is a shortage of officials in an area. Post-Season work is mainly Master officials, some certified can work if shortages in one area.
Apprentice officials are new officials less than 2 years experience. To move up to Certified takes two years score 70% on open book exam, and have approval of the pool assigners. Certified to Master takes another 2 years, score 80% on closed book exam and approval of assignors. Should also have worked 10 varsity contests. Also, all officials must pay dues on time and attend rules clinic each year or lose rating.
No Difference any more on boys and girls. They consider it one sport.

[rainmaker]

Put me in the group of people who don't understand rankings that put a top women's rating lower than a top men's rating. Or if it's high school, then boys/girls. Are you really saying that boys' refs are better than girls' refs? Even if you believe that, it's hard to imagine institutionalizing it in that way. So I"m guessing that's not what your association means. But I bet it takes a lot of explaining of whatever the meaning is.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Put me in the group of people who don't understand rankings that put a top women's rating lower than a top men's rating. Or if it's high school, then boys/girls. Are you really saying that boys' refs are better than girls' refs? Even if you believe that, it's hard to imagine institutionalizing it in that way. So I"m guessing that's not what your association means. But I bet it takes a lot of explaining of whatever the meaning is.

I sincerely believe it (if we're talking about those who do ONLY boys and ONLY girls). Sweeping generalization and there are exceptions, but in general (on average) I believe this is the case.