IHSA Officials

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

But I still think that knowledge of the rules is one important part of being an official. You always hope that you don't have to use 2-10 in a game, but if, and when, you do, you better know how to correct an error, because if you don't do it right, you can bet that the coach, fans, local sportswriters, local cable televison announcers, and your buddies, over a cold adult beverage, after the game, will give you a hard time.

I never said that rules knowledge was not important. I just said that a test is not going to prove that someone knows or does not know the rules.

And I can tell you until you face a correctable error situation, most people are not going to know they handled this correctly until after the situation. Or they would have to see it take place. And I have never seen a NF Test ask on how it is applied, but point out what is a correctable error situation. You need to know how to apply the rule than just know what situations are correctable error situations. The problem I see in rules mistakes are often not just what the rule says, but what you do after you make an application.

Also Billy, you can list a bunch of things or this canned information, it does not mean that all of that stuff is correct or accurate in everyone’s eyes. We do not even agree on the importance of a rules tests and different states and associations have different approaches on how to train or what they require their officials to do to maintain a license. I am about to start teaching a basketball class and I attend camps in different areas and this list has never been used to illustrate how to officiate. That suggests like anything in life people have different opinions on how to be successful and not to be successful.

Peace