Assignors and Assignments
 

Just curious……

Earlier in one of the threads we were discussing upcoming games – Jrut said he can look forward to: “Only 3 days off this year.”

My question(s) are these – How far out do you know your schedule? Do you Sr. V refs know your entire year’s schedule already (minus possible post season)? Do you V refs who only work a V schedule actually have less games than those of us who work lower levels as most V games are the same days (i.e. – Tuesdays and Friday’s here). When you use Arbiter (or another online program) do you have multiple Assignors look at one calendar or do use multiple calendars?

Reason for asking is – I ref in three leagues (2 Rec and one HS) and it’s tough to block my calendar and hold dates for my HS schedule. My HS Assignor schedules my games about a week out (wish it was further out, but understand). Is that normal for others? While I want to work as many games as possible at the HS level, I don’t want to miss opportunities by holding dates open and missing dates.

All that being said, my Association is bringing me along slowly but surely (I’m not in SoCal you know) and am I am really happy with what I’ve seen of my schedule so far. I have a full plate and love it!

I know this is a local thing, just curious how it works in your area. Thanks in advance.

Mine is being done about a month at a time. January's came out a few days before Christmas.

My assignor for HS does a few games right away for his Varsity refs with less experience (or less reputation). He then fills out the rest of the varsity schedule by mid December. Subvarsity is similar, with balance of schedule not completed till end of December, begining of January. This assignor only assigns for the high schools, not many middle school games.

The assignors for weekend ball typically don't know how many games they will be scheduling for until about 10 days beforehand. So I don't get those games till the week before.

out in wyoming
 

We have guys that know most of their schedule for 09-10 already...and our association schedules the entire season that we are responsible for about a month before the season starts

it depends on the assignor and the competition for games. In baseball they assigned last season all at one time because the little league assignor would pick up officials if they didn't.

basketball does not have competition so they assign the games twice. Up to jan 1 and the rest of the season.

In volleyball, the schedule was assigned a couple of weeks at a time.

there is no right or wrong

I have about 10 or 15 games for next year right now. I will get the majority of my high school schedule done by March. I will not find out my college schedule (which could change everything) until after the summer.

By season time, I know my entire high school schedule (where I am going and when I am working) unless there is a change in the game on the school's part.

I only accept varsity games before the season and I might pick up a game or two at the lower level. But I do not get asked to work lower level games anymore unless there is a special rivalry that the assignor might not have someone else available. Usually I am asked to evaluate officials for associations and assignors.

This has become a recent phenomenon in my area. Almost every assignor uses the Assign by Net or Arbiter. Now every college assignor except for one uses an online site for assigning. And with both Arbiter and Assign By Net, there is access from others to see all your sites. I am not happy about that, but that is a conversation for another day.

Peace

I had my schedule (varsity) for the season in the fall....which is typical in my area. Some assignors will guarantee dates, but do not assign the specific games until December. I also get additional games..usually non-league games or schedule changes...during the season, sometimes on just one or two days notice.

The Land Of Steady Habits ...
 

Here in my little corner of Connecticut, our local board assigner uses the Arbiter. We get almost all of our regular season high school games (V, JV, F), as well as many middle school games, assigned to us around Thanksgiving, including dates, sites, schools, times, gender, level, R or U, and partners. Snow postponements, a few schedule changes made by the schools, especially around midyear exam times, and turnbacks (injury, illness, family, business) may change our schedule a little during the season. Post season league, and conference, tournament assignments are made at the end of the regular season. State tournament assignments are not made by our local board assigner, but by the state tournament assigner, with input from, get ready for this, here it comes, the coaches, although to be honest with all of you, the coaches do an excellent job of selecting what we officials consider to be our best officials. Really.

We get our varsity schedule the week of Thanksgiving for the upcoming season. Sometimes there will be changes, but they usually are minor ones. And the weather can affect things as well. You may find that rec league will be less desireable as time moves forward and then you will not need to worry about blocked dates. Or you could simply do those games on a day when you know there will be no HS games. But I like Sundays off myself.

In my area of Washington State, our HS assignor is generally scheduling 3 weeks to a month out.

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

I Guess We Have It Good Here
 

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.

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.

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