Drunken Referree

[Reffing Rev.]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

I would definitely find a way to get him off the floor as soon as I detected some sort of on going impairment.

My only question to the OP, are you sure the problem was drinking and not some other health issue? A stroke can cause similar behaviors, as can certain other chemical imbalances such as very low blood sugar, and certain hormone imbalances that can develop quickly.

Regardless of the reason, the person should NOT be reffing and even in 2-whistle, should leave.

At first I thought maybe he had a stroke too. Doctor checked him out and he ended up back in the bleachers in street clothes for the 2nd half of the boys game. Which may or may not rule out serious medical concerns. Today I was working a JV tourney and one of the other guys working the tourney had worked the JV games last night. He said he had smelled a little liquor in the lockerroom (one of those, come to think of it maybe he'd been drinking, kind of thoughts). The 3rd guy working with us today is a vet around these parts, I just moved here last year and the other guy just started last year. I guess the ref in question in the OP had a problem with the bottle about 5 years ago, lost his license, got cleaned up and was making a comeback.

[fullor30]

Really happened to me, I was scheduled to do a Lacrosse game late afternoon and had a business lunch that started late. I had a beer with lunch and was worried it was on my breath. I stopped at CVS and was pressed for time, grabbed a small travel bottle of mouth wash and took a shot as I got back into car, problem was it was hand sanitizer...........WOW!!!! My mouth lit up like three mile island

[wildcatter]

Getting intoxicated is a willful act. This is different from having an incompetent referee - he/she can't help it.

If you overhear a referee saying that he's going to blow a few calls on purpose because he's got money on the game, do you not say anything because it's not your problem and you didn't pick the official?

The gambling referee is willfully ruining the integrity of the game. The drunk referee is willfully ruining the integrity of the game as well.

It is your responsibility, if you have any doubts about your partner's integrity in officiating a game, to raise them. If it's just an inkling of doubt and you feel comfortable - you can raise it with your partner to get an explanation or solution. If not, you can speak with someone who does have authority.

This argument doesn't even touch on the safety issue of having a drunk person on the court. Just because you don't have the authority to discipline him does not mean you don't report him to someone that does.