That's standard operating procedure for this area in baseball, softball and hoops.

Standard here is 1 1/2 times the game fee.

the best "rule of thumb" for working a 1-official game is to: blow the whistle a lot early in the game! by setting the tone/standard, the players/coaches will adjust to you and you'll have a much easier game (without the elbow to the gut and ensuing fight that was mention in an earlier post).

My rule of thumb is to work hard. Get GOOD ANGLES and don't worry so much about where you are on the court (just be out of the way of players). I will work the baseline, like a lead, or the trail, and sometimes I end up in a C position. Get where you can make good calls.

My WORST experience yet was 3 years ago. I worked an AAU Tournament with about 200 teams. We had 8 teams at our site for Pool Play. I called 5 McDonald's All-Americans that day. I called EIGHT (8) games that day by myself! 20-minute halves! First game, daddy runs to floor yells at me. I stop play, tell Game Administration he is out. Next game, I have a momma yell at me, on my way by I tell her to "hush!" Nary a problem the rest of the day. Oh yeah, my "partner" showed up at halftime of game #8. I figured I ran about 20 miles that day. My feet hurt like HECK for more than a week, and I lost the toenails off two toes. (Learned a lot that day.)

To date, I would say I have called around 50-60 games by myself in the past 5 years. You get used to it. You won't EVER like it, but it becomes manageable.

When I work any games they're always one man. Fortunately, we have a small gym, otherwise we'd need a defibrillator. ;)