HS Associations - Training Programs

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Maybe I've mislead you. Connecticut is a 100% IAABO state. That is a fact, not a rule.

If you want to start your own non-IAABO Connecticut chapter, for example, the Rutledge Peace Basketball Officials Chapter, then you are welcome to do so. No one would stop you. I'm sure that our state interscholastic sports governing body would require of your chapter some type of proof regarding the quality of your officials before allowing your chapter to assign scholastic games.

As it is now, there are plenty of "independent" basketball officials groups in the state that assign recreation games, travel games, private school games, AAU games, etc. Up until a few years ago there were a few non-IAABO groups that assigned girls high school games. Over the past few years they have voluntarily merged with existing IAABO boards.

You missed my point on this Billy. We would not be allowed to do that without opening ourselves up to tax liability. No associations in my state can assign games without violating tax law because they would have to pay workman's comp and other benefits for paying and hiring officials. Because if membership is required and they association pays you, that would open up the organization and its leadership to fines. This is not about starting my own organization; this would violate law and make it almost impossible for an organization in my state to afford all the fees and taxes that go with such a structure. Your state laws might be different, but in this state we would be in some trouble by doing that. This is why our associations are only "training" organizations, not "assigning organizations." You guys have a policy as to when and how someone gets a game. We cannot do that as a group. But a conference can hire and assignor and that person can come up with their own policy as how they hire someone without violating those laws I was discussing. Because they can hire you without membership and the schools are the ones that pay you.

Also there was an organization in another sport that did the very thing you say IAABO does in your area. Then there was a completely separate legal procedure that someone was going through and they were doing the right thing by claiming the income and they were honest about who paid them. When the state found out they were being paid directly from this organization and taking out money for being a member and other things, they charged the organization for back taxes because they were considered an employer under the law not a group hiring independent contractors. This has nothing to do with AAU or rec ball, the same rules would apply. Which is why we are paid only by the schools and we get games from someone the schools decide to hire.

Peace