The 10 Rules of Officiating
 

I like to quote certain "rules of officiating" that I've made up over the years here on the board. I've had two people ask me if I would post them. Since I have nothing better to do (and you, obviously, have nothing better to do than read them) - here they are.

Number 10 - "When you're on the court - always look sharp. That doesn't include the top of your head."

Number 9 - "There's only 2 (sometimes 3) people in the entire gym who don't care who wins - you and your partner(s)."

Number 8 - "Remember - it's just a game. But you get paid anyway. What a deal!"

Number 7 - "Never swallow your whistle - it's there to be blown and besides, it tastes really, really bad."

Number 6 - "Parents know as much about the rules as they do about raising children."

Number 5 - "When in doubt - don't be."

Number 4 - "Always bring your English-Jibberish dictionary to the game so you can understand the coaches."

Number 3 - "Coaches have a shorter leash than a puppy."

Number 2 - "NO OVERTIMES!!!"

and (drum roll please) Number 1 - "Tuck your whistle in your shirt before you take a leak." This applies to both males and females.

CLASSIC! I needed a laugh today...good stuff.

Ah, guess this means the season has started!!! :) Lets git r dun

I thought number Number 1 should be that "There are three temas on the court, Team A, Team B, and the officials. At the end of the game the Officials always win."

The season is here :)

I probably should have also posted the referee's motto:

"Occasionally wrong - but never indecisive."

Also - I had a buddy tell me once that if you ever start to feel intimidated by a coach, just imagine him naked. I DO NOT recommend this - unless, of course, the coach is an absolute babe (preferably female - but not that there's anything wrong with that).

Soapbox Response
 

From Mark Padgett: "Number 2 - "NO OVERTIMES!!!""

I disagree. I love overtimes. They can be the most exciting part of the game and officials have to be on their toes for four more minutes of a close game. I've been on this "soapbox" before: Officials know that we're kidding when we say this, but nonofficials, who often frequent this Forum, may be led to believe that we want to work our 32 minutes, get our check, and hit the road as soon as possible.

I always felt that if you want to work for free, go volunteer somewhere. :rolleyes:

Amen to that!

I don't believe he said anything about working for free.

I think he was simply stating that when a games goes into overtime he enjoys the moment rather than begrudging it.

Disagree with your motto.

I've gone for help on OOB calls I was not sure of. Also if action under the basket on a shooting foul caused me to not know if the ball went in or not.

Just two examples of preferring indecision allowing me to go to my crew for help.

Referee's motto: Let's get it right as a crew.

It's a joke, Dan. :D

http://www.blacksheepdesigns.com/ima...The%20Joke.jpg

My comical point was that if you get paid for working regulation minutes and do not receive any additional compensation for working additional overtime minutes, then you're working the overtime "for free". Capiche?

That's not the kind of "wrong" or "indecisive" he's referring to. Calling the OOB decisively, and then looking decisively at your partners to help you get it right is fine. Indecisive is weak whistle, sloppy mechanics, debating in your mind before signalling -- you know, like me!

aaaahhhhh, there in lies the problem. You are paid by the game; not by the minutes. :) So you should think that games that finish in regulation are a bonus... you worked less time for the same pay.... ya, thats it, thats the ticket!!

I don't get paid for working regulation minutes. I get paid for working a game. Overtime is part of the game (O.K., some games). If the play of the game dictates that it should go into overtime, I sure as heck am not going to make sure that there is no overtime. To do otherwise is dishonest.

I get, Mark, that you post primarily for the sake of humor. And I think eyezen probably understood clearly your point. He was just adding his opinion (to BillyMac's) that your point, even if comical, is wrong-headed.

This whole "no overtime" notion is a matter of integrity. As officials, we should be above reproach. Suggesting that officials compromise their integrity, even as a joke, does a disservice to the officiating community and to the games they serve.

I do appreciate the humor on this site, and I don't want that to change. But the humor I appreciate is the humor that does not require us to believe the worst in people. Except for Old School. We can believe the worst in him. Kidding.... :o

HEY EVERYONE -

http://www.bbonline.com/innkeeper/lightenup/pix1.jpg

geesh, I wondered when our integrity would be questioned. C'mon guys, do you really believe that the officials that post on this site officiate that way? Give them some credit. No one spends this much time, energy and devotion to baskeball and officiating to rob kids of their time on the court. GET REAL!

Now isnt that a pretty Smiley Sun from Mark? :)

Good grief.
http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscart...es/blan11l.jpg

WOW! Let's get those panties pulled out of that bunch! If we lose the ability to laugh at ourselves...then we don't need to do what we do. (I have had some old guys come up to me and be TOTALLY SERIOUS about the no overtime thing, though. Now THAT'S frustrating!)

And maybe that's exactly why some people have said that they don't think it's really all that funny of a joke.

Hey - he said "OLD GUYS". That has nothing to do with us.

Yeah, suuuuuuure. :p

Hope this will help some of you tight-azzes.......

http://www.holyconservancy.org/images/setupz.gif

He was probably kidding...Lighten up... We, or the majority of us feel the same way you do.

I wish you people in the upper lefthand corner of the country would make up your mind.

Is it a joke or not?

Volunteer
 

From Mark Padgett: "I always felt that if you want to work for free, go volunteer somewhere."

I do. Every year I officiate at the Special Olympics Unified Games, for free. Also, when assigned, I officiate the Doc Hurley Classic Scholarship Tournament (Hartford, CT), also for free. I also officiate, again for free, as many scrimmages, both preseason and pretournment, as I can fit into my schedule. I don't mind giving back to the sport that I have loved for over 40 years.

I know that I should "lighten up", but this anti-overtime sentiment, whether it's done in jest, or for real, really "yanks my chain", especially when nonofficials hear about it.

Doc Hurley's a great tournament. Didn't realize that you Central CT guys worked it for free, but it's probably worth the experience of getting to call that good of a game in the Civic Center. I'll never forget when I went along with my school's varsity team in 2000.

JR,

I can't find that file installed anywhere on my computer even though it says it installed succesfully. Any help?

First you say he's wrong, now you accuse us of being indecisive. Is this some kind of joke?!?

Actually, I'm not sure why he said it was a joke. He says it seriously, and with some good illustrations to help understand the principle. And really, for such a dweeb, he's got a pretty good principle, don't you think?

I already said I disagree with this principle.

I thought perhaps after I'd explicated the vocabulary as Mark intended it, you'd see it differently.

Of course, the crew should get it right all the time. But that's not always going to happen. Sometimes, they're gonna get it wrong. But there should never be any waffling or hedging or debating. Discussion when there's a disagreement isn't the same as indecisiveness.

Now you want to argue the semantics of what you thought Mark might have meant, which he claims is a joke anyway.

One more time then I'm done: it's OK - rarely - to be unsure about what the final decision should be. Some of us would use the word 'indecisive' to describe that case. Those same people would not agree with you or Mark that we are *never* indecisive.

That's all.

It's not an argument in the sense of any hostility. I wasn't sure what you were disagreeing with, and working on the semantics is one way to find that out. Now, I see your point, which I didn't before.

And by the way, PADGETT, where the heck are you when I'm trying to defend you? Sheez, he finds his meds and goes to sleep just when he's got the pot boiling...

Juulie - did you realize you mentioned "pot" and "meds" in the same sentence? Only in Oregon. http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra...ool_shades.gif

Good point. In fact, I'm headed into the Health Department next week to get my sister's license renewed. As Martha Stewart says, (although perhaps not in this context), "It's a good thing!"

You're quoting Ex-cons?

Remember - she has to get enough to share with the rest of the class. :cool:

Hey - this happens every time the local press does a story on an ex-Blazer. :rolleyes:

I just got an error message...

Id tell you what it was, but I couldn't read it... I dont have my glasses on. ;)