I started officiating last year. I am just starting my second year by recently passing the Ohio class / tests and am Cert to ref up to 10th. A quick summary of my 60+ career games:

3rd / 4th / 5th: 50+ games
6th: 8
7th: 1
8th: 1

I like the speed of the game you start seeing about 6th grade and have decided to set my sights on moving up. In Ohio, you have to wait 2 years before you ref Varsity which is fine by me. I hear 5 years before varsity is about right. What is your opinion? I feel good about my rules interpretation but my mechanics need work. Example, I know the signals but when is it reaching in? When is it block or push vs. good physical play. Etc. I know (hope) that will come with time.

Back to the question...any Ohio guys? Whats the right path?

Thanks

Larks - Cincinnati, Ohio

wow! 5 yrs seems a long time to wait for a varsity game. but i'm from florida so geography could be different.

Objective data
 

Unless you have some objective qualifications, like a test or something like that, you are ready whenever the people that assign the games says you are. And if you "honestly" feel ready, you are ready.

Some guys are ready and most are not at earlier years of experience. No different than a player going to the NBA. Only a few can make the jump quickly, like Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett. Many are like Leon Smith. So you have to take your time and only the powers that be and you can make that determination.

Peace

Welcome aboard LARKS
 

There are many variables that figure into the equation of "When do I move up?" I suggest that you find a strong mentor that is willing to work with you; to give you candid, constructive criticism. Also, you should be willing to work games wherever and whenever you can get them. Hopefully working them with a strong, experienced partner.

Bottom line: You need to get a feel for the game, and get feedback from "qualified" veterans. Then You should be comfortable to know when you are ready.

P.S. "Reaching in" is not a foul. ILLEGAL CONTACT with the hands is. (Just a "pet peeve" of mine) Also note: OVER THE BACK does not exist... However, Pushing(w/ the body) can occur in a rebounding situation.

you could break the leg of one of the varsity officials for the game and take his spot.

Larks - I'm in Cleveland, have been working since last November, and have a full JV schedule lined up this year - my second. I've been to two three-man camps this past summer, and have been told by more than one varsity official that I "do a good job" and should have no problems getting some varsity games next year.

Of course, over the course of the past month, I've officiated probably in the neighborhood of 8 varsity scrimmages, so that helps to give a feel for a higher level of competition, and it's always easier to go backwards (V to JV) than to go forwards (8th to JV or V).

All in all, work as many games as you can, and don't be afraid to work games where you'd feel in over your head. Just like playing basketball, you don't get any better unless you run with better players--and I think that holds true for officiating, as well.

Good luck!

Wow, I didn't know anyone was that serious about 3/4/5th grade ball. My career has only seen 5 games at that level. Camps and summer league is the only way to get yourself ready for a Varsity schedule. A JV schedule is what I have done all my career so just do it.

Moving Up / Camps
 

Actually, I'm not that serious about 3rd / 4th. Its where I have found myself getting started based on who assigns me.

I have already taken the advice listed in this thread by finding a mentor to work with. This tuesday I am actually going to watch him officiate including participating in their pre-game. It sounds to me like I just need to network with the right folks. I've been in sales my entire career so I think I can handle that.

Hey williebfree, you're right about the Reach and over the back. Illegal use of hands and pushing are the correct calls.

Speaking of camps....anyone know of any websites that has info on camps? Anyone know of any in or near Ohio?

PHil bova camp is a good camp. im not sure where it is held, but im from toledo, ohio and i think its held at KENT ST. University. but what williefree be says in the earlier response is totally right. i am a young official myself, who started at 14 and have a full JV schedule in my 2nd year. take your varsity test asap, and get it out ofthe way. just cause you pass the test, doesnt mean you will get varsity games. i have a fellow official who mentors me, and he has given me some JV games that varsity offficials assign. the best thing you can do for yourself is read the rule book, check out this great website, ask questions, go to camps, have some mentors to guide you along the way,and officiate each game as if it is your last. But most importantly, be patient. you dont want to rush and get blackballed, or get in a situation where you dont want to officiate anymore. let the games come to u, and dont be a butt kisser. i think people will realize the hard work you put into the game, rather than into kissing someones behind. plus, kissing someoens behind will only get u so far.....

In our association you move up when our board says you move up. We have a rookie advisor(me) who evaluates all the rookies and gives them helpful tips for improving. We also have a pretty comprehensive evaluation form that the rookie will give to a senior official who has observed him/her. The more evaluations turned in, the better your chances are of moving up. When our rookie advisor feels an official is ready to move up, he brings it before the board and the board votes on whether to move that official up. Some of our officials will move up after only 1 year. Other officials may never move up and those rare few end up giving it up. Once you move up you are given just a few lower level varsity games along with a whole bunch of better JV games. Attending a camp is helpful for an official wanting to move up. Another thing that is highly regarded is watching the senior officials do games. Talk to those officials at halftime or after the game. Ask a lot of questions(respectfully), listen and learn. Above all, be open to constructive criticism. Don't make a lot of excuses about why you did or did not do something. Good luck and have fun out there.

Do not quite understand.
 

So glad I do not have to go through what Daves and Josh have to go through. If you are good enough, you get to move up. None of this test taking or doing things that have nothing to do with the court. You are good, you move up. That simple as far as I see.

Peace

Re: Do not quite understand.
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JRutledge
[B]So glad I do not have to go through what Daves and Josh have to go through. If you are good enough, you get to move up. None of this test taking or doing things that have nothing to do with the court. You are good, you move up. That simple as far as I see.

what did u exactly mean as far as not having to go through what i did?
but, either way, i wish it was that easy to move up here around Toledo. i am taking the varsity test this year, but in Michigan, the state doesnt mandate a test to be registered as a varsity official. In Michigan,I have a quicker chance of getting my first varsity game possibly this year in Michigan rather than Ohio. myself, i have quite a bit of experience and have been exposed to some of the better officials in our association, some of who officiate at the collegiate level. so i have been able to learn some things from them as well. i feel as an official you have to be confident in your abilities, and the confidence comes with the knowledge of the rules, as well as good sound mechanics, as well as good skills in preventative officiating and game management. but if you are good enough, eventually you will move up period.

What I mean is.....
 

if someone thinks you are good, you work varsity. You do not have to take a test, or prove that you can officiate by any other means that you being good. And even if you think you are good, evaluations from coaches and other officials will not keep you there if you are not.

I just do not see the purpose of taking a test to be a varsity official, they cannot ask you any question that is going to give you game management skills or prove that you can handle situation on the court. Rules knowledge is one thing, but game management and court demeanor is another.

Peace

Re: What I mean is.....
 

i agree with you, but thast just the way things are. if anything, it keeps the good, younger, officials from officiating at a higher level that dictated by state athletic association by having to wait 2 years to even take the varsity test. the whole point is to gain experience before officiating that level of ball, but i started 3 years before i got my liscense and i felt i was a few steps ahead of the officials just coming out of the class. so yes, some officials i think are ready even before some others.

In Virginia, we do not have a "license". We take the federation exam every year (given twice a year). My association requires a varsity official to score at least 85 on the exam and you must attend the rules clinic every year. JV officials have to attend the rules clinic every other year. We move up (98% of the time) after attending a summer evaluation program -- must be invited to the summer program based on ratings received throughout the season. We changed our rating system/procedures this year and if a JV official wants a rating, they must initiate the process by doing a self-eval and emailing/snail mailing the form to the varsity official(s) who will in turn rate the individual and send the rating form to the rating committee. Previously, the JV official verbally asked the varsity official for a rating and some varsity officials did not want to take the time to prepare a rating (a##holes). With the new system, if the JV official does not receive anything (after they initiate the form), the VP of the association calls the varsity offical and gives them a "gentle reminder" to get off their butts and do the rating.

daves
 

Can you forward your "comprehensive evaluation" to me?

[email protected]

I am in the process of getting our local association to do more for the younger "rookies".

Ohio - from what I know
 

In Ohio, class 2 permits (up to & incl 10th grade) requires that you take 25 hours of instruction and pass the rules exam and mechanics exam with at least 75's. but, it's open book so you can probably guess that after 25 hrs of review, most pass. At the end of the second year you can take the varsity test to get your class 1 permit which I am told is closed book.

Upon passing the class 2, I was given a list of assignors...I was told of this "shortage" out there and that I would probably get called more than I wanted.

Based on that, I sent my availability in to 3 guys in my part of town plus the guys I worked for last year. Bottom line: the guys I worked for last year call me. The guys I sent avail into havent. One thing I have learned....Its polotical. I had a well known assignor tell me "sure, I'll use you every week...I'll give you a whole season's schedule right to my face....but that guy doesn't return calls....when I finally got thru...more lip service. "sure, I'll work you in" etc.

I guess I shouldnt complain....I have 32 games scheduled between now and Jan 13th. Mostly 5th - 8th. My goal is to get at least some frosh or JV experience this year to help prep me towards being eligible to work Varsity the 03 / 04 season.

Patience Right?

For you Varsity Test State I have a question.
 

So if it is so important for you to take a test and pass it to do varsity games, what happens if you have been doing varsity for 15 years or so, and one year you get 1 point short of the required score, do they not do varsity anymore? Do you hold back varsity spots for officials that have done a State Championship game because they did not get a required score? You are going to tell me the only factor is what a test score said?

Peace

time
 

in my opinion one should wait between 2-3 years before varsity. Sooner if they feel confident

Re: For you Varsity Test State I have a question.
 

once you pass the test for your class 1, then you dont have to take it again, providedyou renew your liscense every year following the passing grade of the class 1 permit

Josh:

I sometimes wish it was that easy in VA. About 3 years ago, the exam was estensively revised (some really screwy questions) and we had about 35 varsity officials fail the exam and therefore, could not officiate fall ball or be considered for district/regional/state assignments. In Virginia, we play girls A and AA ball in the fall (changing to winter ball in 2002) and the exam is given in August and again in December. I try to take it in August just in case! If you took the exam in December 2000 and wanted to do fall ball in August 2001, you had to take the exam in August. However, we sometimes might do a game or two before we get the test results. That's what happended when the 35 or so officials failed. They were notified that they had to turn back the games already scheduled and take the exam again in December -- lots of red faces.

Re: time
 

I believe that only in very rare cases would an official be ready for Varsity games after 2-3 years. I hate it when I get an inexperienced partner because my job becomes much harder. I have to ref and try to keep the coaches off his back so he can ref. Most of the time these "fast movers" call a great game, but lack skills with the coaches.

Trust me, I was one of the "fast movers" and had good partners that helped me by keeping coaches off my back so I could learn what I was doing.

I feel that one would be ready to move up after 2 or 3 years experience depending on what level they worked those 2 or 3 years. I started right at the Freshman/JV level. I was fortunate to work with some quality men and women. Also, one has to be seriously working to improve themselves. I am in my second year and am contemplating moving up to at least a few varisity games next year. Of course, I am "sneaking" up to the dreaded 40 years old. If I don't make a move soon, I may never get the chance. I make it a practice to listen to my partners, they more than anyone will know if/when I'm ready.

Very good comments made by all. I only have one thing to say about "stripes" comment. You said you had good partners that helped you out so you could learn while doing, and also said you hate it when you get an inexperienced partner. Shouldn't you "give back" to them what you got from others. Really, no matter how long you wait, and it differs by person and by area, there will still be some "on the job" training that has to be done. JMHO.

My Plan
 

My plan is to work as many games as I can (within reason) between now and the Varsity test at the end of next year. I'm going to look into camps this summer which I'm sure will help. And of course, I'm going to try to network with the right assignors. I hope all this talk about shortage is true so I can get some of those frosh & JV opps.

Its kind of like a job....how do you get a job without experience....how do you get experience without a job.

Only a small factor
 

Years of experience is not a very good determiner to me. You can be doing this for 3 years and only have done 20 games over that time. And if you did not go to camps at all during that time, you might not at all be a good official. And that could go for a 10 veteran. I think the type of experience you have is much better determiner of what kind of official you will be. Not just the years of experience. I would rather work with the second year official that went to camps every year and did 150 game in one year, ranging for Freshman to JV in High School. Then the 10 year guy, who only renews his license to get about 20 games each year at the HS level, and does all rec. ball most of the time. Yeah, that veteran might have had 150 games under his/her belt, but if they are doing a rec. game, chances are they did not have to be concerned about the many things that goes on in a HS environment.

Years of experience mean very little by themselves to me.

Peace

Fair enough question. Hate it is probably too strong a term. I think that my partners would agree that I try to "give back." I also believe that I am a good partner. I am just a little frustrated this time of the year. My partners lately all seem to fit the "new varsity official" catagory. It seems like every night I am the one who takes care of all of the crap that happens. I guess I am longing for the partner who can hold up his half of the bargain.

It is true that there is always OTJ training that cannot be gained any other way. Sometimes we have to fall on our faces to learn and we need good partners to pick us up and dust us off. I hope (and try hard) to be the partner who does this.

Re: daves
 

I'll see what I can do. I have a blank one right here but my scanner hasn't been working right. My wife is the computer whiz in the family. I'll ask her to help.