And that is why both my local football and basketball officiating associations have the exact same rule. No drinking the day of a game.

One drink smells the same as ten. And it doesn't matter if you have 1/2 a beer, if someone smells alcohol on your breath and wants to complain about your officiating, they will tell everybody that you were drunk.

And unfortunately, some mouthwashes, medications and sprays can leave an alcohol smell also. That means that if we do have to investigate a drinking complaint, that has to to be taken into account too. The benefit of the doubt always goes to the official.

Having said that, if a situation came up where an official was injured, etc. and needed to be replaced, using a non-impaired official who maybe had a drink earlier would be fine as long as everybody involved was notified and had no problems with it, Ya gotta use a little common sense.

I ALWAYS use a Listerine Strip before each game.

While I try to avoid getting up close and personal with folks, sometimes it happens, especially during Coaches/Captain's Meetings.

How do I detect it?

1)The industry that I work in requires me to be trained in this type of detection.

2) I am also a parent of former and current teen-agers.


I have never met anyone who has mistaken the odor.

Perhaps you just don't know the right diabetics. :rolleyes:

:confused:

Right from the NFHS Basketball Officials Manual.....

1.2.16 Cardinal Principles: The following items are specific goals and personal attributes that every good official will strive to attain and accepted procedures which should be followed:

m) Do not consume alcoholic beverages at any time on the day of and prior to a contest.

Pre-games are completely unnessary. 86 them and you can probably worm your way out of the breath odor deal. :p

I presume you're talking about a diabetic who has high blood sugar and sweet smelling breath?

I think it is hard NOT to smell booze on somebody that is noticeably inebriated but maybe this has to do with what my job was in college.

You can get an actual job picking up drunk chicks?!?!:eek:

Ahhhh, as mentioned in a prior post I knew this was close to home with you.

So, what's your take on Altar wine as I asked you before?

We have plenty of holiday tournaments with games starting at 9:00 am, do you have a cut off for the night before?

The funny thing is we're very close to agreeing here. I don't think it's a good idea to have a drink when you have a game the same day. I for one get tired with any wine or beer during the day no matter how small the quantity and rarely do partake. I'm certainly not arriving at game site with any hint of it on me.

I'm disagreeing with your absolute. Your judge and jury conclusions on suspected drinking by your partners is troublesome, and it appears you're carrying your job over into the officiating arena.

Of course you're entitled to believe as you wish.

The dead weight is a back breaker!

As far as being "close to home".... (you have no clue, assume as you wish) I was challenged as to how I could detect alcohol on someone's breeath.

As far as the Altar Wine.....(talk about apples and oranges, but I'll play anyway;)) I don't know where you go to mass, but I have yet to experience a Catholic Church dispensing wine via a 12oz glass for each person.... nice try...

9:00am start...... I would not have any reason to be drinking after midnight, but that's just me.

I'll leave you to your insults.......... have at it.......

While I understand your point.......
 

To you they may be unnecessary......to me, they are required and do have a smidge of value.

Goals, not absolutes; besides, this goes against your statement that you wouldn't drink after midnight the night before the game. If you go by this standard, if you have a game on Sunday, you can't drink after midnight Friday. There a lot of officials on this board for whom that would mean no alcohol from Thanksgiving until March.

You may think I'm misinterpreting the statement, and I would agree with you; but it's not an unreasonable reading of the quoted statement.

Dude, he said it was close to home, then you said your job requires you "to be trained in this type of detection." He may have no clue, but it sure as smoke seems he's write.

Without a breathalyzer, I still say you have no way of determining for sure whether the effects are due to alcohol or other sources. Would those behavioral symptoms preclude someone from working a game? Probably, but they don't mean an official's career should be over as you suggest; nor do they mean he has no integrity.

And frankly, if you can have a drink at 11:30 the night before a 9:00 am game, why can't someone have a beer at lunch on the day of a 7:00 pm game?

Because ASDF says so