Associations ratings
 

How do different areas around the country rate their officials. Where I come from we rate our top varsity officials 1a and 1b. 1a and 1b are the top boys varsity officials. We then have 2a which would be our top girls varsity officials and 2b which would be our lower rated girls varsity officials. We then have 3a and 3b which is our junior varsity and freshman officials, then the last rating is 4 which is our new officials. We re-rank all the officials with our evaluation and ranking committee after the summmer is over and the officials that attend camp and work summer ball that are evaluated are the first officials that we look to move up.

I know some parts of the country use different rating systems. Do you like splitting the officials up and ranking them either a boys varsity or girls varsity official?

What is the criteria involved in moving an officials ranking up or down?

What systems do you feel work the best in determining a rating and the actual ranking system?

In Texas, officials earn points...0-74 is Div. 5…75-299 is Div 4…300-749 is Div. 3…750-1499 is Div 2 and 1500+ is Div. 1.

Points are earned as follows:

Attend State Meeting = 25
Regional Clinic = 15 (Max 1 per year)
TASO Camps = 5 (Max 2 per year)
District Meeting = 2 (Max 2 per year)
Test Score = 8 (90+), 4 (89-80), 2 (79-70)

Maximum of 60 points from these, to which is added 2 points for working a 3 hour scrimmage, 1 point for each sub-varsity game and 2 points for each varsity game….Max of 100 points per year.

As for the type of games…in my chapter D5 and the low end of D4 get strictly sub-varsity at the small schools and/or lesser programs…upper D4 and lower D3 get sub-varsity at the larger schools and a LITTLE small school and/or lesser program varsity…upper D3 and lower D2 get mostly varsity at mid sized/mid level schools…extreme upper D2 and D1 get the big schools/upper programs.

Obviously there are exceptions. There are some officials in our chapter that have a lot of experience but, for whatever reason, cannot document “points” from another area or state. They will get what the Assignment Secretary feels they can handle. Similarly, if he thinks you have stepped up your game to a point higher than your point total would suggest he adjust you schedule (this is what I am hoping for). You may also get a “test” early in the season by having him put you with a strong partner(s) in a bigger game to see what you can do.

Many in our chapter complain about their schedule but I think he does a fair job. I usually tell the complainers to do what it takes to improve your schedule or stop complaining. I know what was working against me last year and have taken a lot of steps to fix those problems. Early feedback at camps has been very good. My best chance comes in three weeks when our chapter puts on their three-whistle camp.

In Utah we have 2 rankings, one for men's and one for Womens.

100,150,200,250,300. 100 being the highest.

so you can have a 100m/100w rating or any other combination.

The ranking are done by evaluations, board member observations..etc


JV same but start at 400 - 700

How do you get away with rating officials differently for boys and girls?...seems like the state assn. or the local NOW chapter would freak out if they heard something like that. Not saying I disagree, but I don't think I've ever seen it spelled out as a "lesser" rating.

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.

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.

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.

How about coaches? If they knew, they'd go nuts. "Why do the boys get the better officials!?!"

My association ranks you as sub-varsity, swing, varsity. Swing means you are varsity qualified, but your schedule is usually more non-varsity than varsity. As a varsity official, I am not rated as ladies vs men. A varsity official does both -- and IMHO, that is the way it should be. My varsity schedule last year was about 60-40 to the ladies' side and I had some really good teams. Because of the number of schools we have to cover, on some nights I will work a freshman game at 1 school and a varsity game at another school, or work the freshman game, sit out the JV game, and work the varsity game at the same school. The coaches are not allowed to rate us, but they can scratch 2 officials for the year. Each varsity official rates his/her partners each game. Near the end of the season (usually the next to last week), we submit ratings to the assignor, with copies to the association VP (also handles training) and once the season is over, I get a rating telling me where I rank within the varsity listing -- i.e., number 22 of 100.

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.

Those sound like Arbiter rankings.

Here in the Seattle area we have observers that rate us and just have a varsity and JV list. Varsity officials rate JV officials while we have paid observers rate varsity officials. We then use interpolation and spit out an average. Top 7 JV officials move up to bottom of varsity while bottom 7 varsity move down to top of the JV list.

Curious as to what they do in Wisconsin, anyone know?

They are, although our ranking system may pre-date our use of The Arbiter.

Those rankings have been used here for at least 12 years...long before we started using the arbiter.

Wisconsin? We solicit our own games from schools and leagues. The state has 6 levels of officials and only L5 and Master (the top 2 levels) can work playoffs. To be Master (you can only increase 1 level a year, 2 if you attend a clinic), you only need score 90 on Part I and Part II open book, attend a state meeting, send everything in on time, and have a schedule of 16 varsity dates.

It was my 3rd year here before I became playoff eligible and my 4th before I became Master level even though I've been officiating since 1987.

The coaches rate officials on a scale of 1 to 6 for each game and they send those out in the summer. Not sure how the state uses those ratings and how much weight they receive.

it just seems as though
 

the boys varsity refs are rated higher than the girls because there is greater competition for the boys side -- the girls side has fewer top officials to chose from out of their pool so its just a way to differentiate the officials who are vying for the boys side from those that are the best to those that are second tier.

in california -- at least SoCal -- ratings go from 1C (lowest) to 5A highest -- if you are a 3A you qualify for some girls varisty -- if you are a 4A you qualify for all GV and few BV -- once you get to 5C - 5A you go to top of the list for playoffs.

Sad to say, but the association I do games for are based on who you know. Although I have bust my butt and have gotten my share of high level games. In general it does not work that way..

So what you're saying is that refs who are interested in doing girls games are second tier? I think if I were you, I'd put down that shovel and quit digging right now.

I would say, rather, that many officials who recognize that they are second tier are interested in girls' games b/c it's generally the case that it's easier to move up on the girls' side. There are very obviously many first tier officials on the girls' side who chose the girls' game for their own reasons.

But for many male officials who can't or don't want to fight their way up the boys' ladder, the girls' side is an easier way to a good schedule.

I think that's true around here, anyway.

That is the case here. It takes longer and you have to have worked better games to get a state final on the boy's side. Also there is much more competition to work the boy's games. Many officials (most are male, we must keep this in mind) want to work the boy's games and girl's games are often an afterthought.

Peace

It is not PC to say it, but we all know that there are many officials who believe that the girl's game is inferior to the boys. That may or may not be the case, but many officials believe it. IMO, officials who choose to work only one side are making a choice based on what they want out of their careers.

I believe Chuck and Jeff have it just nailed as far as it really happens in my neck of the woods, many officials (males) who do not progress quickly on the boys side go to the girls and they move there. It may not be PC to say it, but they are not top tier officials and they do move faster on the women's side.

I stopped reffing girls games about 5-6 years ago. For me it was a question of time and pounding on my joints. I enjoyed the boys games much more than the girls and it was an easy choice about where to cut games out of my schedule. I have never regretted it once.

Home depot has a sale on shovels.

All kidding aside, It's obvious that most of us have started doing girls games as an entry level to Varisty games. The speed of the game and the level of play is below the rim instead of above the rim. After time you just get comfortable.

Let me give you a football analogy for a second (let us take gender out of it for a minute).

In my state we have 8 football classes. Class 8A is the largest class with the largest schools involved. It is widely thought of in football that if you are used to working the lower classes if football, that it is a bigger adjustment to move to the higher classes and call the game appropriately. Also the higher the class, the more likely you are going to see players that will become the Division 1 players. So the higher the level, the better the ball, and the better the officials need to be. In basketball we have two classes (that will change to 4 in 2007-2008). Even in on the boy's side, the better officials are seen to be the Class AA officials, largely because the players that are going to get recruited and play at the Division 1 level. When I started my basketball career, it was easier to work a Class A boy's schedule and much easier to work a girl's varsity schedule than it ever was to work Class AA Boy's. Even within Class AA Boy's there is a tier system and working certain conferences have more prestige than working others. No different than it is at the college level. Working the Big Ten or ACC brings more attention and accomplishment than working the Missouri Valley, Horizon or Sun Belt Conferences. Fair or not, we are always going to make these distinctions and the levels we work will help judge our abilities as officials whether we like it or not.

Peace

As much as it may offend some here...where I live when you start to get varsity games, it is usually the smaller schools (lesser program) girls varsity. As you get experience, you start getting the better girls varsity games with a little lesser program boys varsity sprinkled in. As they begin to view you primarily as a "strictly varsity" official, the local camps is where you need to show you may be ready for the better boys games.

You also see the "older" officals who want to stay on the floor but have trouble with the speed of the big boys programs decide to work exclusively in the girls game.

Many refs in my area work both sides, myself included. Some do only girls. Some do only boys. In general, the boys side is a little more competitive although there are some "girls only" refs who would do excellent on the boys side. It was easier for me to advance quickly on the girls side when I first started.

Interestingly, many of the "boys only" refs work college ball only on the girls side.

There are some "girls only" refs that get girls varsity games who I would not be comfortable with working a very intense, high-level boys game with. It would be too fast and too intense for them.

There are also some great "boys only" officials who are great at 4A games but do not do a good job at B or 1A boys games. They hold to the same "let them play" philosophy at B or 1A and the players at that level aren't able to play through that contact. I wouldn't want to work a girls game with them because of their inability to adjust down.

Our state is really pushing all officials to work both boys and girls. In fact, state dues are now a flat fee and joins you to <b>both </b>of your local associations (both boys and girls). You can still work only one side if you wish, but you are paying to join both. Many of our officials who have previously worked for only one side are going to do a few games for the "other side" this coming season. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out over the next couple of years.

Z

ratings
 

I posted because I was seeing what other states do as far as a ratings system goes. I see that some areas have officials rated as a boys varsity official or a girls varsity official. I don't know how well that works but here is my take on the subject: We all know that the top officials will be on the best boys varsity games. If you are rated a girls varsity official and want to move up to being a boys varsity official there are certain criteria that have to be met. I am very big on attending camp at least once every two years just to stay up to date with the changes and philosophy of the game. Even the top rated officials should try and make camp at least once in a two year period. If you are rated a girls varsity official there might be an opening on a boys game where you can fill in and see how you do.

I was in an association that rated everyone: beginner, aprentice, and master. The only problem is when you got to master there was a group of about 40 officials that rated master level, then the ones that werent getting the top boys game complained that someone with the same rating was. I think it works better to break the ratings down into more groups and letting the officials know what they need to do in order to move up to the next category is needed and having a set criteria to move up is needed.

I just dont know what system works the best. I kind of like the 5a, 5b, 5c. 4a, 4b, 4c. 3a, 3b, 3c and so on system that California uses. Does anyone have a breakdown of the exact system that California uses and what goes into determining a rating.