I had a opportunity last week to referee two different local college scrimmages, a Division 3 and a Division 1 school. I had a blast!

To this point I have only worked three whistle mechanics at camps, but have become quite comfortable with it. I found the big guys a lot easier to ref than the JV's I have been doing for a couple of years.

I know that there are many game management skills that go along with moving up, but from just an officiating stand point, do you senior officials agree that the varsity athletes are easier to call than the rec leagues and JV levels?

Ranjo,

It depends. I have only been calling varsity games for 2 years, but to me you have to be alot faster, and your positioning is much more important. At the lower levels, you don't have to move around as much because the game is alot slower and it's alot easier to anticipate where the ball is going to be. I much prefer varsity games, but you have to be alot sharper and must always be in the right place if you want to make the right call.

Josh

Although there are exceptions, I have always found that the higher the quality of ball, the easier the game is to call. The speed goes up, but the body control and skills do to. The most challenging game for me to call is lower level girls because of the number of turnovers, lack of body control, and the number of calls that are "iffy."

Z

I agree with Zebraman. More goofy stuff happens at the lower levels and it is more difficult to employ the advantage/disadvantage concept because there is usually less understanding from the coaches, players, and audience.
At the higher levels, bigger, stronger players can handle more contact and can continue the play without being put at a disadvantage.

The game is easier the game managment is tougher.

Well said, Tim! At higher levels, the game is easier to officiate but the challenge comes in handling specific situations and coaches.

Zebra also hit it right on the proverbial head. At lower levels of basketball, specifically girls, all kinds of weird things happen and in some cases it isn't even the players. In fact, I just had the "privilege" of working some AAU games over the weekend, 6th grade girls to be exact. A girl goes down with a turned ankle, so I beckon the coach. His response to me, "you missed two reaches and that's why my girl is hurt." Now when was the last time you saw a girl turn an ankle because the defense reached, whatever that is supposed to mean?
Sometimes the coaches are not a whole lot brighter at that level either, which doesn't make the game any easier to officiate.

Acutually I think JV both boys and girls is the easiest to ref. The skill is there to have good basketball but the coaches are not so demanding that good game managment skills are needed. Lower levels as was said, the game is ugly. Sometimes you can't even tell it is basketball. At higher levels, you have Bobby Knights that think that they own basketball. So you have to be able to deal with them. When I hear D1 officials talk about there conversations with coaches. I know I ain't ready for it.

Come on Tim
 

That is what makes it fun. Do not get me wrong, if a coach is just screaming and that is all they are doing, it challenges you more as an official. But that adds to the excitement. And to have several hunderd or a coupe thousand fans yelling at you adds even more to that.

Actually I think the higher the level you go, the easier the actual game is to call. The lower you go, the harder it can be to officiate not necessarily because of the game, the coaches and the fans are so ignit that your game managment skills have to be on point. And even then it can still be difficult. All the lower level coaches do is scream and howler. The higher the level the coaches, they scream and howler, they just pick their spots.

But this is just my opinion. :)

Peace

Something else to be considered....
 

No one has mentioned the quality and quantity of officials on the court. Some varsity and most college games not only have 1 more official on the court, they are usually better trained, more experienced and generally have better game management skills.

All of these factors add to the "ease" of officiating the game. What looks simple to the observer with 3 good, experienced officials, may be a disaster if the game had 3 relative newbies on crew.

Re: Something else to be considered....
 

Coaches are usually better too. The fact that the coaches at the varsity and college levels, ususally had to work some years to get that job, this makes our job as an official much easier. And even when the coach is very new to that level, they will pick up on how their peers are acting and fall in line. It makes our job so much easier when a coach is complaining at appropriate times, rather than trying to contest ever foul and violation.

Peace