Assignors and Assignments

[Rich]

I have a game on February 8, 2011. Yes, I know that's 25 months from now.

[Freddy]

I guess I just sensed an enhanced measure of gratitude for our assignors around here.
One assignor for girls, one for boys; both use Assign by Web (tough for us because we need to keep up two availability calendars; hope they can harmonize them into one next year).
For those whose availability calendars are up-to-date, our assignments for the season, middle school through varsity, is pretty much set earlier than most--usually by mid-late August. More assignments seem to trickle in in September and October as some officials turn games back or don't bother to accept them after a period of time.
Assignors from the surrounding areas follow the same timetable.

[Texas Aggie]

We get our schedule for the entire year (for HS), with exceptions, in mid-October, about 2 weeks before scrimmages start. College schedules, for those that work that around here (at least small college and lower level D1 conferences) come out about a week or so later.

The exceptions include games that are added, reassignments due to turn backs, and many tournament games. I think I got all my tournament assignments after the season started but unlike previous years haven't had many additions yet. I have given a few games back.

[Texas Aggie]

Rut: since you use both Arbiter and ABW, can you compare the two?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

Rut: since you use both Arbiter and ABW, can you compare the two?

The Arbiter is much better. I can be assigned two games on the same day. I can list one availability calendar for one person and another calendar for different person.

I can also cross out schools on the Arbiter and make it clear on certain days I cannot travel a certain distance. ABW.net is just garbage and if someone in my area was not trying to sell the program people might use the Arbiter. And there are so many problems with emails and stuff that I get from ABW it is annoying.

Do not get me wrong, both are decent programs that you can get games online much easier. But I cannot stand the problems ABW have caused and how it is used. I am probably more disappointed about how it is used, but the Arbiter has much more flexibility.

Peace

[muxbule]

I have had my entire schedule since early November. This is standard for our association annually. So far this is the only assignor I have so an availability schedule is not an issue.

[fullor30]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The Arbiter is much better. I can be assigned two games on the same day. I can list one availability calendar for one person and another calendar for different person.

I can also cross out schools on the Arbiter and make it clear on certain days I cannot travel a certain distance. ABW.net is just garbage and if someone in my area was not trying to sell the program people might use the Arbiter. And there are so many problems with emails and stuff that I get from ABW it is annoying.

Do not get me wrong, both are decent programs that you can get games online much easier. But I cannot stand the problems ABW have caused and how it is used. I am probably more disappointed about how it is used, but the Arbiter has much more flexibility.

Peace

I'll second that.................no comparison

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The Arbiter is much better. I can be assigned two games on the same day. I can list one availability calendar for one person and another calendar for different person.

I can also cross out schools on the Arbiter and make it clear on certain days I cannot travel a certain distance. ABW.net is just garbage and if someone in my area was not trying to sell the program people might use the Arbiter. And there are so many problems with emails and stuff that I get from ABW it is annoying.

Do not get me wrong, both are decent programs that you can get games online much easier. But I cannot stand the problems ABW have caused and how it is used. I am probably more disappointed about how it is used, but the Arbiter has much more flexibility.

Peace

A a few of my customers have come from ABW and Arbiter. I've heard nothing be complaints about ABW. Less so about Arbiter but those that have used both tend to prefer RefTown.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I have a game on February 8, 2011. Yes, I know that's 25 months from now.

Rich, I hope it's close to your home: the forecast in WI is terrible for that day!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Rich, I hope it's close to your home: the forecast in WI is terrible for that day!

I was at a school earlier this season and had the following story related to me:

Volleyball official didn't show for a match contracted 2 years earlier. AD was annoyed and started calling other schools to let them know of the official's unreliability. One caller knew the guy and said, "Um, you know he's dead, right?"

I figure between football, basketball, and baseball if I should happen to die while still an active official, I'll have about 90 dates still on the calendar. For football I have 5 varsity dates on the books for 2011 (three conferences just tell me to hold certain weeks and I have commitments from them for 3 years in advance that renew each year unless I hear from them).

My biggest current problem is my business travel. I take the games and then just have to find replacements when I'm asked to travel on business. 3 games from the 16th to the 24th just replaced as I'm going to Europe. Some commissioners do not like that and I pretty much lost a conference cause I had to turn back about half of my conference dates I had received 2 years earlier. But like I told the commissioner, when my officiating pays my mortgage, I can make it the top priority -- until then, it's gotta be the day job. Most assignors understand this.

[chartrusepengui]

I have approximately 25 varsity dates for next year and just received 6 for 2011 this past weekend. My varsity schedule is completely set for next year by the end of March with the exception of make-up dates and tournament assignments. Lower level games are usually set by October.

[Adam]

I've noticed that when ADs have to schedule the officials, they go way in advance (years). When they have assigners, the schedules are typically done much closer to game day (within a month or two).

[jdmara]

Wow...Very interesting thread. We have our schedule set before the season starts and beyond. I'm not extremely established with the assignors in basketball so I'm going year-to-year. However, in baseball I'm a year ahead in scheduling. I don't know if I could go week-by-week for scheduling, shew

-Josh

[chartrusepengui]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I've noticed that when ADs have to schedule the officials, they go way in advance (years). When they have assigners, the schedules are typically done much closer to game day (within a month or two).

the ones I got over weekend for 2011 came from assigners who in our case are called conference commissioners.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I've noticed that when ADs have to schedule the officials, they go way in advance (years). When they have assigners, the schedules are typically done much closer to game day (within a month or two).

It's the opposite here. Of course, each conference has a commissioner that assigns and competes with the other commissioners in getting officials lined up. So it's like an AD who hires for 6-12 schools.

Personally, I like the system. I moved here, made a lot of calls, sent a lot of letters and emails, and built up a full schedule (35+ varsity games) within a year. I worked 18 varsity games my first season here having only started looking for games in August (and remember, most schedules are done 1-2 years out). Other officials have been here 7 years or more and grumble about not being able to land varsity dates. I always wonder if they put the time and effort in that I do.

Having one assignor? Nah. I remember being in that situation and getting 2 games a week. Sometimes 1, as the assignor had to spread out the schedule across the whole group of officials. So I'd either have to work middle school or freshman or not work (and actually, varsity officials weren't allowed to work down, so it was really "not work" unless the guy was really in a bind). Here I can work as much or as little as I want and I control (to a certain extent) how much I work, how far I drive, etc. (when I complain about the length of a drive, it's self-inflicted). And if one assignor decides not to use me (it's happened) I can still work a full schedule at the level I want to work. And I can drop a conference where the coaches are out of control (it's happened).