Should I be upset?

[CMHCoachNRef]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

As someone that actually lives here, there are a lot of schools that would not do anything different but pay you your whole fee if you worked the entire game, especially if you called and told them you were stuck in traffic. That happens a lot here especially on those early games. Unless the contract says something different, they should pay you the entire fee. That being said saying something is not going to get much of anywhere. But I know many that have paid when you show up in this very situation.

Peace

JRut,
If the school is willing to pay the money, taking the money is fine. Ultimately, the contract states that we are to be at a particular place at a particular time to perform a particular duty. While calling ahead is nice, it still does not free one of the responsibility of being at the game on time.

The schools budgeted for TWO OFFICIALS for FOUR QUARTERS. They got ONE OFFICIAL for TWO QUARTERS and TWO OFFICIALS for TWO QUARTERS. Did the schools get what they contracted for? Should the schools be required to pay for EIGHT "OFFICIAL'S QUARTERS" when they only got SIX?

In our local Catholic league, we have had a rule that states that a SINGLE OFFICIAL gets 1.5 times the pay of a two person crew. The reasons for this rule are to prevent officials from simply "splitting up" and making the entire fee AND an acknowledgment that ONE OFFICIAL is NOT as good as TWO OFFICIALS.

These situations can and DO happen. At the same time, the responsibility for arriving ON TIME rests on the OFFICIALS' shoulders. Taking a 50% pay cut for that game was MORE than reasonable, in my opinion. While going after the money might seem like a good idea in the short term, getting some "bad press" from the AD at this school as he talks to MANY OTHERS is a losing proposition for you.

I would write an apology letter to the school that outlines why you were late. I would be sure to THANK the AD for 50% of the first game fee. This technique will get you MUCH FURTHER in your career than the extra $20 would EVER buy you...in my humble opinion.