One Person Mechanics ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Last time there was a discussion of 1-man mechanics it became a big bruhaha. Definitely an example of what causes cowboys to disappear.

I think that was before my time. I'll take a chance that it won't cause any esteemed members to quit.

[mikeref]

This is a no brainer for me...under no circumstances do I work a game alone. The liability factor is just too great. Forget about being the "nice guy" and "doing it for the kids" or whatever excuse you can think of. In today's society there will always be someone waiting to take advantage of the situation. I know it is sad to say, but it is the truth!! Besides, our state athletic association specifically forbids officials from working games by themselves. If there is not another certified offical present..I'm sorry but the game does not get played!

[JRutledge]

You can come up with all the scenarios and logic to what you can do when working by yourself, it means nothing when the game starts. You just have to do the best you can and hope that players are accommodating. Many calls are obvious, but it is the bangers that will be a problem. You really can only call the obvious fouls and violations.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by mikeref

This is a no brainer for me...under no circumstances do I work a game alone. The liability factor is just too great. Forget about being the "nice guy" and "doing it for the kids" or whatever excuse you can think of. In today's society there will always be someone waiting to take advantage of the situation. I know it is sad to say, but it is the truth!! Besides, our state athletic association specifically forbids officials from working games by themselves. If there is not another certified official present..I'm sorry but the game does not get played!

You must be fortunate enough to have a lot of officials working in your area. We service almost 70 high schools, meaning that we service boys and girls varsity, boys and girls junior varsity, and boys and girls freshman games, at those schools, as well as many middle schools that feed into those high school programs, with only about 220 officials. Weekend games, and night games, are usually not a problem, although we often have to schedule some officials for freshman/junior varsity, or junior varsity/varsity doubleheaders. The big problem for us are the afternoon freshman, and middle school, games, that often start at 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. Most of our officials, like myself, work regular 8 to 4, or 9 to 5 jobs, and can't make those afternoon games, so we very often have only one official scheduled for those games.

mikeref's statement above has a lot of merit to it, especially since his state athletic association forbids one official games, however, please comment on the following scenarios:

Your scheduled for a single varsity game. The junior varsity officials have already left the site (a problem in itself, as far as I'm concerned) when you get a call on your cell phone, five minutes before game time, that your partner has been in a car accident, or is very ill, and will not make the game, or you don't get a call because a scheduling mistake has been made and you don't have a scheduled partner. The bleachers are filled to capacity, the band is playing, the cheerleaders are getting ready for the game, the table has the scorebooks ready (OK, maybe I went too far), the local press, and cable television guys are ready, and the players are warming up. You call your assigner and find out that no other official is available due to scheduling, availability, illness, injury, etc., because it's a busy Friday night (the biggest basketball night of the week here in Connecticut).

Now, in mikeref's state, the decision would be out of your hands, since they forbid one official games, you just send everybody home, put away the balls, turn out the lights, and lock the gymnasium doors. In the absence of that state rule, what would you do? Here in Connecticut, and in Sudbury, Canada, and in Kansas, we would play the game with one official, and unless you are an experienced official like me, who's done quite a few one man games over the past 27 years, you could use some tried and true mechanics to follow.

Also, does mikeref's state athletic association cover middle school games, and other games such as recreation leagues, Catholic elementary schools, travel teams, AAU games, etc.? If these programs are not covered by the state athletic association rule, what would you do in a similar situation?

In addition, what happens, with only two officials at the site at 8:00 pm., in the fourth period of a big game, one of the varsity officials pulls a hamstring, or twists an ankle, or tears an Achilles, or tears an ACL? Shouldn't the remaining official have some type of plan as to how to best do a one person game? If sure that even in mikeref's state, you probably must start a game with at least two officials, but I doubt that when one official goes down with an injury with five minutes to go in the fourth period, in a two point game, that the state association makes you send everybody home, put away the balls, turn out the lights, and lock the gymnasium doors. We should all have some type of plan when we do a one person game.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Your statement above has a lot of merit to it, especially since your state athletic association forbids one official games, however, please comment on the following scenario:

Your scheduled for a single varsity game. The junior varsity officials have already showered and left the site (a problem in itself, as far as I'm concerned) when you get a call on your cell phone, five minutes before game time, that your partner has been in a car accident, or is very ill, and will not make the game, or you don't get a call because a scheduling mistake has been made and you don't have a scheduled partner. The bleachers are filled to capacity, the band is playing, the cheerleaders are getting ready for the game, the table has the scorebooks ready (OK, maybe I went too far), the local press, and cable television guys are ready, and the players are warming up. You call your assigner and find out that no other official is available due to scheduling, availability, illness, injury, etc., because it's a busy Friday night (the biggest basketball night of the week here in Connecticut). Now, in your state, the decision would be out of your hands, since they forbid one official games, you just send everybody home, put away the balls, turn out the lights, and lock the gymnasium doors. In the absence of that state rule, what would you do? Here in Connecticut, and in Sudbury, Canada, and in Kansas, we would play the game with one official, and unless you are an experienced official like me, who's done quite a few one man games over the past 27 years, you could use some tried and true mechanics to follow. Also, does your state athletic association cover middle school games, and other games such as recreation leagues, Catholic elementary schools, travel teams, AAU games, etc.? If these programs are not covered by the state athletic association rule, what would you do in a similar situation?

I understand where you are going with this. My question to you is how does the JV Officials go home without knowing a varsity official has not shown up? The non-varsity officials are coming off the court as you are going onto as a varsity official. That would be nearly impossible unless the JV/sophomore or prelim game (whatever you call it in your area) if you have at least one officials in the game before. Even in a tournament setting where there are multiple games. Someone is around to work that game. Then again where I live I do not know when the last time I have heard of a 2 Person game on purpose. I am sure there are others from my state that has different experiences. It just does not happen very often here in the Chicago and surrounding suburbs and it certainly does not happen in my experiences in central Illinois and other parts further south.

I am also sure that if a state, conference or local association has a policy on how to handle those situations. And in that policy I am sure there are ways to not have all officials go home. I really do not think it is that complicated.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

My question to you is how does the JV Officials go home without knowing a varsity official has not shown up? The non-varsity officials are coming off the court as you are going onto as a varsity official.
I am also sure that if a state, conference or local association has a policy on how to handle those situations. And in that policy I am sure there are ways to not have all officials go home.

How do the JV officials go home without knowing a varsity official has not shown up? This is a sore subject on our local board. We've always had a unofficial policy on our local board that varsity officials get to the site early to watch at least the second half of the junior varsity game, and the junior varsity officials stay and watch at least the first half of the varsity game. The purpose this is to expose the, usually less experienced, junior varsity officials to a the varsity experience. This also allows the varsity, and junior varsity, officials to discuss any odd situations, or interpretations, that may have occurred in either game, this dialog taking place before the varsity game, or at the varsity game halftime. This unofficial policy also allows for our "double secret" peer rating system.

But, alas, it's an unofficial policy. Sometimes the junior varsity officials have just completed a freshman/junior varsity doubleheader, have been at the site from 3:15 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. and just want to get home, leaving as soon as possible, in uniform, without even taking a shower. In some cases the junior varsity officials want to get out of there as soon as possible to get to their hometown to do a recreation, or travel game (easy money), again leaving, in uniform, without even taking a shower. Sometimes they just leave, no excuse, just walk out the door at the end of their game. We varsity officials can't do anything about this, except giving them a lower rating, because they didn't stay.

Let's forget about back to back games for minute. Let's say that you have a high school freshman game at 3:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, with no other game to follow, and it's 3:20 p.m. and you have no partner. You call your assigner and no one else in the geographic area is available to fill in. What are some mechanics that can be used by a brand new rookie official, the kind that usually do freshman games, in a one person game?

And what about a single game, only two officials at the site, where one of the offcials gets hurt. Shouldn't the remaining official have some type of plan as to how to best do a one person game?

I'm sure that many or us have worked a one person game at one time or another. Instead of discussing why there is no other official, can we please discuss some mechanics that may give that rookie official some help going into that one person game?

It appears that BadNewsRef was correct. I had no idea that this would become a big brouhaha. Really, I didn't have a clue.

Again, I would appreciate any input into these guidelines.

[JRutledge]

Billy,

I think it is safe to assume that if there is a policy that outlaws such a situation, then it is very possible that there would be all kinds of ways to make sure that does not happen. Just like you do not play the game without a safe environment, if the rule/policy says to not play the game with only one official, then you do not play with one official. It seems simple to me.

I have also worked many games by myself. Many times I have worked by myself because someone did not show up or there was a complete mistake on the person assigning the game. In my cases it was the AD usually did not give the proper information. No shows from an assignor I have not yet experienced.

That being said, when I have worked by myself in a game, I did not follow any set standards or tried to. I understand that this is not the ideal situation, so I do not really care what procedures others follow. I just try to get in the best places to call the play that is in front of me. And that is why many places probably have no written mechanics in the first place. If you want to have them, I likely would not follow them. I just think you cannot put all officials into a perfect box with this kind of situation.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think it is safe to assume that if there is a policy that outlaws such a situation, then it is very possible that there would be all kinds of ways to make sure that does not happen. I have also worked many games by myself. Many times I have worked by myself because someone did not show up or there was a complete mistake on the person assigning the game. In my cases it was the AD usually did not give the proper information.

mikeref's state obviously has such a policy, and safeguards, in place. Maybe all of his games, at all levels, are three person games, so if one official doesn't show, there are two left to work the game. Not so here in my part of Connecticut. All of our local board's games, up to the state quarterfinals, are two person games, although I understand that some "big city" games in the southern part of the state are three person games. We actually have a written contract with the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference that stipulates that one official is to receive 150% of the standard game fee.

You haven't been officiating a long time if you have never worked a game by yourself. Just this past season, I showed up to observe the start of a junior varsity game, before my varsity game, to find that, through the fault of the athletic director, no officials had been assigned to the junior varsity game. The A.D. had erroneously heard that the visiting team did not have a junior varsity program. After clearing it with the two varsity coaches, as stipulated by our local board's policy, I quickly got dressed, and worked the J.V. game by myself. With twenty-seven years of experience behind me, I knew instinctively how to best work the game by myself: free throw line to free throw line, meet with the J.V. coaches, and captains, before the game, explain my limitations, and ask them to help me, i.e out of bounds, etc., don't get caught on the baseline, "cheat" on reporting fouls, administer free throws from the trail position, bounce the ball to the throwin player as often as possible, etc.

All I want to do is to write down some of these guidelines, as they have already done i.e. the Kansas State High School Activities Association, through the Topeka Officials Association, http://www.topekaofficials.com/PDF%2...0Mechanics.pdf, and the Greater Sudbury Board of Basketball Officials http://www.greatersudburybbo.com/doingitright.html (IAABO Board 106).

Again, instead of discussing why there is no other official, or how it can be prevented, can we please discuss some guidelines that may give a rookie official some help going into a one person game?

BadNewsRef: Man, were you right.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

How do the JV officials go home without knowing a varsity official has not shown up? This is a sore subject on our local board. We've always had a unofficial policy on our local board that varsity officials get to the site early to watch at least the second half of the junior varsity game, and the junior varsity officials stay and watch at least the first half of the varsity game. ...


But, alas, it's an unofficial policy. Sometimes the junior varsity officials have just completed a freshman/junior varsity doubleheader, have been at the site from 3:15 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. and just want to get home, leaving as soon as possible, in uniform, without even taking a shower. In some cases the junior varsity officials want to get out of there as soon as possible to get to their hometown to do a recreation, or travel game (easy money), again leaving, in uniform, without even taking a shower. Sometimes they just leave, no excuse, just walk out the door at the end of their game. We varsity officials can't do anything about this, except giving them a lower rating, because they didn't stay.

There's a term for those officials....

Paycheck officials...just showing up to earn the check and not doing what it takes to get better or better the organization. The few that do the expected probably get the nod when the assingor needs some new varsity officials....and rightly so.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

There's a term for those officials...Paycheck officials...just showing up to earn the check and not doing what it takes to get better or better the organization. The few that do the expected probably get the nod when the assignor needs some new varsity officials....and rightly so.

Those that do the expected get more than a nod from assigner, they also get a better rating from the varsity officials, which will eventually lead to a lot more nods from the assigner.

Paycheck officials. You hit the nail right on the head.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by mikeref

This is a no brainer for me...under no circumstances do I work a game alone. The liability factor is just too great.

Mike, I'm not a lawyer, so this is an honest question. How is the liability greater for an official who works alone than for a crew of 2? And does that mean that the liability for a crew of 2 is greater than that of a crew of 3?

I just don't understand how the number of officials affects liability. I have no legal background.

[inigo montoya]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

Mike, I'm not a lawyer, so this is an honest question. How is the liability greater for an official who works alone than for a crew of 2? And does that mean that the liability for a crew of 2 is greater than that of a crew of 3?

I just don't understand how the number of officials affects liability. I have no legal background.

It's a liability issue in this case, I think, because his state association says "no one-official games." So because the official broke the rules, the laws safeguarding official(s) no longer apply.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by inigo montoya

It's a liability issue in this case, I think, because his state association says "no one-official games."

Ok, I can certainly see that. I thought he was making a general claim that the liability is worse, so he would never do it, regardless of the state's position.

[Back In The Saddle]

Billy Mac,

I'd add one more thing to your list, in large, bold, all capital letters: DON'T GET SO CAUGHT UP IN "WORKING SOLO" THAT IT DISTRACTS YOU FROM CALLING YOUR GAME!

Not that it's ever happened to me

[cmckenna]

Billy,I know right were you are coming from with your comments earlier in the thread. We have several instances up here on Board 7 where due to lack of officials, some games are assigned only 1 official from the start. It's just the nature of the beast. Too many games / not enough officials. We dedicate one of or Better Officiating meetings to this very subject at the beginning of the season and go over with our brother and sister officials the best way to handle working alone.