Saved at the horn by an unbelievable shot

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Boys varsity HS rec tonight. Final seconds of regulation and the score is tied. Already, I'm having nightmares about an OT.

I thought that surely you were preparing to unload on your partner, based on your posting in a previous thread quoted here:

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Overtimes? Personally, I don't allow them. If the game is close near the end, I tell my partner, "If this goes into overtime - IT'S YOUR FAULT!!!"

I tell people that, as an official, I don't care who wins the game. All I care about is that at the end of regulation time, one team has at least one point more than the other.

[mplagrow]

I saw an 8th grade girl hit a three-quarter court shot on a high school floor--a second AFTER the halftime buzzer. Crowd went nuts anyways!

What are you afraid of if a ref in grade school does his/her own school? I'm just curious. Are you more worried about bias, perception, or the tough spot he/she would be in if they called a difficult call against his/her own school?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by mplagrow

Are you more worried about bias, perception, or the tough spot he/she would be in if they called a difficult call against his/her own school?

All of the above. It's just wrong.It's a no-win situation for everyone.

[BillyMac]

From mplagrow: "What are you afraid of if a ref in grade school does his/her own school?"

Easy answer: Conflict of interest or percieved conflict of interest.

The only way that I would officiate a high school game where I was a teacher is if I got a call from my assigner fifteen minutes after the scheduled start of a game at our local high school, that is less than a mile away from my house, that one or both officials did not or could not show up for a game. Even then, I would make sure that all those involved, athletic directors, site directors, coaches, and players, know that I was filling in in an emergency situation. Even then I would ask them if they preferred only one official to two officials that included me.

I am a retired teacher. I live in the town that I taught in. I close out games at my local high school. There are plenty of games for me to officiate outside my town.

I just looked through the NFHS Officials Code Of Ethics on page 75 of the NFHS Rule Book. I was surprized that there is nothing mentioned about conflicts of interest. Why not?

[mplagrow]

I used to be a teacher, and due to circumstances I often had to ref my own school. This was in a small Lutheran grade school. I agree that it can be difficult, but the fact is that you are often harder on your own kids because you don't want to seem biased and you know their tendencies.

I'll never forget an 8th grade girls' tournament game I reffed with my own students involved. With time expiring, I called a shooting foul on a girl from my school. "We" were ahead by 1. Team B had not hit a single free throw all night. The girl missed everything on the first toss. Second toss, swish! Team B won by 6 in OT.

Now, I know it was the right call. Nobody held it against me.But it was indeed tough to be in that position!