Association Question
 

Are they any places out there that operate where you (as an official) contract your own games - without an association or an assignor?

This was the way it was when I very first started and now I have moved around quite a bit and everywhere now seems to be an association and they assign you games.

Just curious. Thanks!

No replies? O.K. let me try this: Do all of you get games based on assignors that are part of an association or do you get a partner and go out and get your own schedule? When I first started this is what had to be done - it seems now that has changed almost everywhere. Thanks!

I get my high school games from an assignor who is hired by the AD's of the local schools.

Game assignments
 

Here in Washington State all officials belong to local
associations and games are assigned by the assigning secretery
Carl
The WEBNASI

Inidiana was the last state that I know of that still did this. I don;t know if that's still the policy. In Texas, some areas still contract with officials for their football games. But for the most part, this practice is over and done with....thank goodness.

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All of my games come from the ADs not from assignors. In this part of the state (IL) only one conference uses an assignor and the rest of the school contract with you personally. That was pretty much the way it was where I moved from as well.

In Mi. we are considered independent contractors. We could call the school and ask for games (from the AD) but most belong to an Assoc. where the assignor mettles out the games. its easier on the official and safer to do so.

That's true in our part of IL as well. Only two of the larger conferences have assignors; the rest of the schools hire their own officials.

Doesn't anyone else in your association have any mettle?

Ray, you're new here, so I shouldn't be rude like this, and I apologize, but you seem like a nice guy so I hope you won't be offended. Normally, we don't razz nice people until they've been around awhile, but this one was too cute to pass up.

When I lived in Rockford, IL I was a member of the ROA(Rockfor officials Assoc.) an they assigned for alot of schools. I think this works better than Indiana. Most still assign individually except for the IOA(Indiana officials Assoc.), but it's not ran as well. It seems to me Indiana has been behind the times on alot of things i.e going to three man in tournament ect.

here in the Cowboy State
 

We have a combination here. The schools contract the games, however, they use associations and individuals and a combination of the two. IOW School A can go to particular officials and give them X# of games, then send the rest to an association. When they send games to the association they can request that certain officials be assinged to particular games if possible. The officials in our association work both systems as well....

In Minnesota...
 

In Minnesota, it's up to the schools. In my area of the state most of the schools go through 1 or more associations to get their officials but they are not required to, they can contract directly with officials. There is one conference where I get games from a conference assignor, outside of my association. Most associations prefer their officials do not accept games directly from the schools and that you belong to only 1 association. The state recommends officials join an association but at this time it is not required. There a few officials who do not belong to an association and work completely as independents but the number is small. Bottom line....no real consistent practice but games from an association is the majority practice.

In Northeastern Ohio, we voluntarily belong to an association, but most assinging is done by Conference Commissioners. For non-conf games its a mishmash...some schools have an assignor get the officials for them and some the ADs do it.

The Association is more for managing our mandatory rules meetings that we have to attend every year.

In Massachusetts (my part anyway) each league (conference) has an assignor hired by the ADs. Some of the assignors assign for more than one league. Some only assign boys others only girls and some assign both.

In Indiana now it is a combination of all possible ways to assign games. Right now there appears to be a movement toward using assignors. However, there are still many schools that like to schedule their own officials. Also I know that the 2 associations I belong to either do or are starting to assign for schools.

So this makes things for someone that is new to the area(been here 2 1/2 years) very difficult to get games. Mostly because schools that schedule their own officials schedule out 2-3 years.

j51969 Are you part of IOA. I am as well. IOA just started this again this season and is only assigning underlevels this season. Next season it sounds like 20 some schools are going to use IOA to assign. Plus I believe most of the schools will use them for varsity as well. Not sure which schools they are assigning for though. They are not telling the officials unless you happen to get a game at one of the schools.

Out in outstate Nebraska (not Lincoln/Omaha), associations don't really exist. Officials are all contracted with the individual schools.

Here in eastern Iowa, there is an assigner for the local 4A conference and you get games through him. Most of the smaller schools all contract games directly with officials through the AD. There is one smaller conference in the area that is going to an assigner next year as well. It seems to be easier to get games by dealing directly with the AD, though it requires more legwork. My local association doesn't get me any games.

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M&M,
Which way do you like better? I personally like contracting independently. By the way which two in your area? Its only the Central State 8 in this immediate area as far as I know. When I was in Southern Illinois the town I lived in played in the Indiana Big Eight. That made for interesting dynamics. I never worked V at home because you cannot win, but about 65% of my games were in Indiana. They all were direct with the schools.

When I was in a part of Illinois where all my games were assigned independently, I hated that system. Mainly because there was too much inconsistency in when you would get games and who you got games from. If an AD would leave the school, you might not get a game at all. At least with a conference assignor, you do not lose games just because an AD changes. Also there is not enough turnover in conference assignors to worry about working games. I will say it is harder to get quality varsity games working for an assignor, but when you do work for an assignor you know the next year you are not going to be out because you T'd up the coach who happens to be the AD.

Peace

Hmm...I guess I never really compared the two. Back when I started, I joined an association that scheduled a lot of grade school and rec league games, so that's how I got started. As I moved into HS, I found I had to start contacting schools directly, so that's what I got used to. Then I started working juco, and got used to working with an assignor again. I've worked some in the CS8, as well as the Big 12 around here, and both have their own assignors. Most of the rest of the HS hire their own officials.

As far as which is better, I might have to lean towards the assignor system. It helps me from the standpoint of only having to deal with one person instead of 6 or 8 or 10 different schools. Also, there is someone I can call if I have a problem at a particular school, as opposed to trying to talk to the AD (who may be a part of the problem). I suppose the downside would be if you get on the bad side of the assignor, you are hurting your chances at many schools, as opposed to just that one. But I think the advantages outweigh the downside.

One of the things that usually get on the bad side of an assignor is when you do some pretty unprofessional things to get you fired or taken off of games. If you go to games on time and you do not behave in an unprofessional way, usually you will stay hired with an assignor at the HS level.

Peace

Not Varsity except MAYBE lower level private schools that for one reason or another don't work with a chapter. There were some Central Texas schools that that couldn't get served by the chapter closest to them, but they called our chapter to work some games. We didn't have any of their games until later in the season, so I don't know if they tried to freelance it first or not. But this is highly unusual, and the state association requires state officials (TASO).

That may, however, change soon. I'll keep you posted when I know more.