Unexpected email

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

I don't want coaches or ADs contacting individual officials directly. I believe that that should properly go through the association's board/president. Call me old-fashioned, but that is my opinion.

What does an email address have to do with that?

Don't the ADs in your area mail checks to your home address?


Don't they have your phone number to confirm dates?

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

What does an email address have to do with that?

Don't the ADs in your area mail checks to your home address?


Don't they have your phone number to confirm dates?

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.

[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.

[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 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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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).

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

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).

I am not contacting the school to give out Christmas cards. I am in contact with the school to make sure the game starts at the right time, I am on their schedule for the game, I park in the proper spot if need be, I know who is greeting me or do they need specific information to fill out a check.

Also there are very few problems with most assignors I work for. But there are times when someone makes an honest mistake and the proper people (including myself) were not contacted for the changes.

Peace

[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

[BktBallRef]

Perhaps you guys who are accustomed to contact with the schools find it difficult to understand how smoothly things can work without a bunch of phone calls.

The assignor communicates with the ADs and schools. Officials do not.

I'm assigned a game, I'm there an hour prior. The schools know we will be there. They get a copy of the assignment sheet just like I do. They have no reason to wonder whether we'll be there.

Times, location, teams, and officials are listed on the assignment sheet. If there's a change, they notify the assignor. That's one person. They have his number, they know who to call. They don't have to look up names for 3 JV officials and 3 Varsity officials and try to get up with 6 different people. They make one call if there's a change.

If it's last minute, and I've already left my house for the game when the assignor gets the call, I get paid 1/2 a game fee. If I get to the school and it's been cancelled but they haven't notified the assignor, I get a full game fee. If it's cancelled after I arrive for any reason, it's a half game fee. If we start the game, we could a full fee, come hell or high water. So there's a financial incentive to communicate.

Any information the school needs about me for tax purposes, they get from the assignor. However, unless I make $600 through a school/school district, it's a moot point anyway.

There are no contracts. The NCHSAA tells the schools which booking agency they will use. The assignor is compensated quite handsomely for his duties. He gets $100 for the first team's schedule and $50 for each additional. So a high school with a BV/GV, BJV/GJV, and BFr/GFr would pay a booking fee of $350 for a season. If the school wants the booking agent to write the check, then they send him all game fees and he writes the checks. Schools pay an additional $100 for this service. Each official pays a booking fee of $65. Booking agents do just fine.

In fact, we all do.

[TRef21]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

What does an email address have to do with that?

Don't the ADs in your area mail checks to your home address?


Don't they have your phone number to confirm dates?

Only when we give them the address. They have arbiter and have access to all of our contact info.