Unexpected email

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by stripes

I worked the boys 4A semi finals on Friday night. When I checked my emails this morning, I got an email from the losing team's AD telling me what a good job my partner and I had done in the game.

We thought we had done a good job, but the email was totally unexpected.

You never know what to expect.

First of all, you guys did do a good job. Second of all, it's one of the few games I've ever seen where everybody unaimously agrees that the refs had no impact on the game. The losing team had already lost by the time I got there...3 minutes after tipoff

Edited to add this one thought:

C O N G R A T S on getting a 4A Semi!

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Dan,
In my state all games are scheduled through the referee associations. There are three for the entire state. It is divided up geographically.
The ADs have no need to contact an individual referee about anything. Thus they don't need to have access to our phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses. All changes are made through the association assignors. The schools contact these people and they in turn contact the referees and pass along the needed information.

As there is no reason to contact an individual referee prior to a contest, there certainly is no reason to do so following a game. Our board/president needs to serve as the liaison/buffer. BTW that is the policy of our current board/president, but the information is still available through the assigning software. I don't agree with that.

PS All pay checks come from the association, not the individual schools.

Then I guess I live in a different world than you. All my contact information is on the web-based assignment packages I use and I have pretty regular contact with most ADs or at least their office. This was the case even before assignments were tracked on the web. I've never had a problem with it.

[Red_Killian]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Dan,
In my state all games are scheduled through the referee associations. There are three for the entire state. It is divided up geographically.
The ADs have no need to contact an individual referee about anything. Thus they don't need to have access to our phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses. All changes are made through the association assignors. The schools contact these people and they in turn contact the referees and pass along the needed information.

As there is no reason to contact an individual referee prior to a contest, there certainly is no reason to do so following a game. Our board/president needs to serve as the liaison/buffer. BTW that is the policy of our current board/president, but the information is still available through the assigning software. I don't agree with that.

PS All pay checks come from the association, not the individual schools.

Nevada, I understand you work differently in your state than we do. One question based on your response, though. Do you as a crew not confirm with the AD a few days prior to the game? We used to do this via a phone call but now use primarily email. We use assigning software but still do the personal contact to confirm all parties are on the same page with scheduled date, time teams, etc.

[stripes]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

First of all, you guys did do a good job. Second of all, it's one of the few games I've ever seen where everybody unaimously agrees that the refs had no impact on the game. The losing team had already lost by the time I got there...3 minutes after tipoff

Edited to add this one thought:

C O N G R A T S on getting a 4A Semi!

Thanks Ray.

Like I told you after the game, it is really nice to make the last cut.

Now, If I can just get a game on Saturday...

[billyc8037]

The Arbiter system has been very helpful here in central Massachusetts. Our assignor uses this system and it does a fairly good job. I do know that the assignor has some latitude regarding what information is available to coaches, AD's and other officials. In my area, only the officials have access to other officials contact information which is good. As far as not having any contact what so ever with the assignor, that would be very difficult as often times officials "turn-back" games at the last minute due to an emergency, sickness or injury. During these times, it is necessary for the assignor to speak to a replacement directly.

[JRutledge]

I live in a state that has all our information online to people that are officials and school personnel that would have access to our contact information. At first I had a problem with this, and then I realized what the big deal was. Schools do confirm assignments with us and inform us of changes if there are any. This is not like the general public has access to this. I would rather have that information public to the right people than getting to a school and being completely surprised.

Peace

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Red_Killian

Nevada, I understand you work differently in your state than we do. One question based on your response, though. Do you as a crew not confirm with the AD a few days prior to the game? We used to do this via a phone call but now use primarily email. We use assigning software but still do the personal contact to confirm all parties are on the same page with scheduled date, time teams, etc.

NO, we do not contact the school to confirm anything. That is all handled by our board. We are only notified if there is a change to what was originally posted.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by billyc8037

The Arbiter system has been very helpful here in central Massachusetts. Our assignor uses this system and it does a fairly good job. I do know that the assignor has some latitude regarding what information is available to coaches, AD's and other officials. In my area, only the officials have access to other officials contact information which is good. As far as not having any contact what so ever with the assignor, that would be very difficult as often times officials "turn-back" games at the last minute due to an emergency, sickness or injury. During these times, it is necessary for the assignor to speak to a replacement directly.

Billy, our assignors are members of the official's association. We contact them for turn-backs and they contact replacements. The schools have nothing to do with it.
PS I didn't say no contact whatsoever with the assignor. I said with the school ADs and coaches.

[KCRef]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I have been online with an email address for about ten years now. I seldom had problems with spam in the past, maybe just two or three a month. Our local IAABO board started using the Arbitrer this past season for the first time. Since the season began in December, I'm getting at least five to ten spams a day, usually for things like erectile disfunction medication, mortgage refinancing, and most frequently, stock tips. I haven't changed my online habits regarding using the internet or emailing in any other way. This may just be a coincidence, or it may have something to do with the use of the Arbiter. Comments from Forum members?

This happened to me also. This was my first year officiating, and two assignors use the Arbiter, and one uses iSOCS. I thought it was iSOCS that was leaking my information to the spammers, but maybe it was the Arbiter.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

NO, we do not contact the school to confirm anything. That is all handled by our board. We are only notified if there is a change to what was originally posted.

So what if the school changes the time or some other issue comes up? You never talk to the school just to make sure what they might be doing that night or special occasion?

Peace

[jritchie]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

On Friday, I received an unexpected letter from some guy in Oregon. It included a money order for $3,000. He said he was getting ready to move here and lease an apartment, which he needed me to deliver $1,000 to the landlord, and send him back the change from the money order after I deposited it in my bank account. So I deposited it on Friday, took the landlord a check, and sent him a check for the rest.

You are kidding right? (scam alert)
Hope your bank doesn't come back and say that was a fake money order and ask you for the money back! There are many scams going around that do the same thing. You have to have a red flag go off when they ask you to send them back 2,000 change! why didn't he just send you the 1,000 in the first place. seems awfully fishy to me.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by jritchie

You are kidding right? (scam alert)

I'm pretty sure he is.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

So what if the school changes the time or some other issue comes up? You never talk to the school just to make sure what they might be doing that night or special occasion?

Peace

Nope. We never have any contact with the school until we show up for the games. It keeps things simple and removes a potentially large conflict of interest. The schools provide their entire schedule and changes to one contact (assignor) who takes care of any and all communications about the game to the officials. The school have no need to keep track of who is on the game and the officials have no need to confirm anything with the schools. The partners only confirm with each other 1-3 days before the game. The system works nearly flawlessly except when a school forgets to request officials for a night (which wouldn't be any differnet in areas that do direct contact).

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

So what if the school changes the time or some other issue comes up? You never talk to the school just to make sure what they might be doing that night or special occasion?

Was I somehow unclear?

In my area rank and file game officials do NOT contact the schools, the coaches, or the ADs. If they need to alter the schedule, they contact our board/assignors and these people relay the information to the game officials.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Was I somehow unclear?

In my area rank and file game officials do NOT contact the schools, the coaches, or the ADs. If they need to alter the schedule, they contact our board/assignors and these people relay the information to the game officials.

I did not say you were not clear, I just find that odd.

Where I live we might have an assignor that gives us games, but the schools still are in contact with the officials for confirmation of many aspects of what takes place the day of the game. Sometimes they need to have information so they can pay us. Or officials contact them just to make sure they have all the idea of what is going on.

When you have gone to a site and more officials show up than needed or a game is cancelled, I would rather rely on the school to confirm information of any significant or last minute changes. And in my area weather is a major concern sometimes and I do not expect an assignor (who officiates as well) to be the contact person for last minute issues.

Peace