Conflict of Interest?

[inigo montoya]

In theory I would be very hesitant to work a game with my boss's kids. Not because I couldn't do it fairly, but I would be concerned with repercussions in the workplace.

[bob jenkins]

It's not only whether *you* can work impartially, it's whether others might have a reason to question it.

So, items C-F in the original list are likely to create a conflict. In B, it depends on how long ago you graduated. In A, it depends on the definition of "friend."

In all of them, it depends on the level of the game.

One you didn't ask:

Suppose you were a female D-1 official on the west coast, and your "partner" was a female assistant at a D-1 school. Would it be a conflict to officiate that team's games? (Purely hypothetical, I'm sure)

[Corndog89]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

It's not only whether *you* can work impartially, it's whether others might have a reason to question it.

Bob is on the mark. The perception of impartiality is the real question. A genuinely professional official will always be impartial. I just started teaching at a high school in a new state...I could give a rat's patoot whether or not they win their games. But because I teach at the school I won't be assigned any of their games and that makes perfect sense to me. Fortunately I'm in a huge urban area and there are plenty of games.

And as JRut said, "If people want to find a conflict, they will." When I officiated in Hawaii and a close call would go against a visiting mainland team, it wasn't unusual to get a local favoritism/home cooking comment from the visitors. In my southern drawl, my response was always, "Hey, I'm from Tennessee," and it stopped those comments every time.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Corndog89

And as JRut said, "If people want to find a conflict, they will." When I officiated in Hawaii and a close call would go against a visiting mainland team, it wasn't unusual to get a local favoritism/home cooking comment from the visitors. In my southern drawl, my response was always, "Hey, I'm from Tennessee," and it stopped those comments every time.

Yup, instead they now said "Oh, that's why you screwed up."

[Corndog89]

Originally Posted by Corndog89

And as JRut said, "If people want to find a conflict, they will." When I officiated in Hawaii and a close call would go against a visiting mainland team, it wasn't unusual to get a local favoritism/home cooking comment from the visitors. In my southern drawl, my response was always, "Hey, I'm from Tennessee," and it stopped those comments every time.

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Yup, instead they now said "Oh, that's why you screwed up."

Most visiting teams were from the west coast so I'm not even sure they understood me...certainly most of the Hawaiian kids didn't.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by inigo montoya

In theory I would be very hesitant to work a game with my boss's kids. Not because I couldn't do it fairly, but I would be concerned with repercussions in the workplace.

I did this last year. No worries. First, it was a ms game. 2nd, he thought it was when he showed up. I had another co-worker's daughter's game twice last year (again, ms).

My current boss doesn't have kids in school, though, so it's no longer a worry for me.

I'm with Rut, though, on the rest of them; even though the state of CO apparently disagrees with me. My first varsity game back in Iowa was for my old high school, 12 years after I graduated in a gym that didn't exist when I played, with coaches I didn't know and players whose names meant nothing to me.

That said, CHSAA has "insinuated" that they would rather officials not officiate games for schools they attended in the past. conflicts of interest are to be reported for consideration in the post season assignments as well; such as my wife teaches there, or my sister coaches there, etc.