Yikes! Glad it's not me - I guess

[Mark Padgett]

Just got my schedule for one of the spring rec leagues for this weekend (no games on Sunday due to the holiday) and I see a guy I've worked with has seven games scheduled for just Saturday! He works three, then has an hour off, then works another four. All of his games are either 8th grade or HS level and they're all boys games. Fortunately, he's in his mid-20s, so he'll have some energy working for him.

These are running clock with a three minute halftime and they start every hour, so we only have about five minutes between games. That's hardly enough time to grab a drink of water or go to the little referees room.

I have three in a row scheduled - two boys V then a girls V/JV. The boys games are on a standard HS court but the girls game is on a smaller court. I'm glad they're in that order.

Oh yeah - there's one other guy who has nine games that day and a couple of guys who have eight, but they each have a few breaks.

[tref]

That is a lot of games to work in one day, especially 2 person. Sometimes you have to work that many to get a decent check with these off-season rates

[GoodwillRef]

I have never liked it when guys worked that many games in one day. Most of the time those guys are jogging and walking in game #1! So the more tired he gets the more important the games in the tournament are...that is real smart.

[Eastshire]

I'll be working a soccer tournament next weekend where last year I had 15 games in two days. They've added Friday night so I wouldn't be surprised to work 20 over three days. I'm thinking about wearing a pedometer this year

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

I'll be working a soccer tournament next weekend where last year I had 15 games in two days. They've added Friday night so I wouldn't be surprised to work 20 over three days. I'm thinking about wearing a pedometer this year

I'd think about wearing a Segway instead.

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I'd think about wearing a Segway instead.

I don't think the batteries on one of those would hold up. One of the guys in the association did have a pedometer last year and clocked 26 miles over the weekend.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I'd think about wearing a Segway instead.

You don't "wear" a Segway!

Now, you might "wear a Segway out!"

Five games in a day is my limit - especially if it's two-man on a HS court.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

I have never liked it when guys worked that many games in one day. Most of the time those guys are jogging and walking in game #1! So the more tired he gets the more important the games in the tournament are...that is real smart.

Two problems:

(1) People like me who won't touch these games with a 10 foot pole leave places like this short of officials.

(2) They don't pay enough to make people like me reconsider my policy of not touching these games with a 10 foot pole. Pay subvarsity HS rates ($40 here) and I'll consider coming out and doing no more than 3 games.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Two problems:

(1) People like me who won't touch these games with a 10 foot pole leave places like this short of officials.

(2) They don't pay enough to make people like me reconsider my policy of not touching these games with a 10 foot pole. Pay subvarsity HS rates ($40 here) and I'll consider coming out and doing no more than 3 games.

Bravo, bravo! Someone who understands.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

I have never liked it when guys worked that many games in one day. Most of the time those guys are jogging and walking in game #1! So the more tired he gets the more important the games in the tournament are...that is real smart.

Do you really think officials should run flat out for $20 a game?

Important? These offseason rec games are important?

[SmokeEater]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Important? These offseason rec games are important?

Ask the kids playing how important each game is! If they are pouring their guts out and putting in an effort then they deserve some resemblance of effort back from the officials. Regardless of pay.

Like others have said if you don't like how much they pay don't take the assignment. BUT if you take it work like you want to be there. Maybe not flat out but some effort. JMO

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SmokeEater

Ask the kids playing how important each game is! If they are pouring their guts out and putting in an effort then they deserve some resemblance of effort back from the officials. Regardless of pay.

Like others have said if you don't like how much they pay don't take the assignment. BUT if you take it work like you want to be there. Maybe not flat out but some effort. JMO

Oh, the "think of the children" line of thinking. You act like I do this for the kids.

If they want top-notch effort, they should pay appropriately.

And like I said, I work exactly zero (*) of these off-season games. Two reasons: They don't pay for crap and they expect you to work 4+ games every time out. And I refuse to run the risk of someone who assigns games I do care about seeing me pacing myself. I did this when I was in college and needed the money. Not anymore.

(*) The only time I work anything off-season is if I'm going to a camp. Then I'll take a few games the week before and work them all out to shake off the rust. But not for the kids. For me.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Do you really think officials should run flat out for $20 a game?

For twenty dollars a game: I'm switching when convenient. I'm administering throwins along the frontcourt endline across the lane so as to not make my partner, as the trail, rotate. I'm reporting fouls, and timeouts, from as far away as the "paint". I'm hustling, maybe not running flat out, but certainly not walking.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

For twenty dollars a game: I'm switching when convenient. I'm administering throwins along the frontcourt endline across the lane so as to not make my partner, as the trail, rotate. I'm reporting fouls, and timeouts, from as far away as the "paint". I'm hustling, maybe not running flat out, but certainly not walking.

Usually, we use what's known as "convenience mechanics". We switch only when it "makes sense" because of our positioning and on about every third or fourth shooting foul.

I'm not using this as an excuse to explain why so many guys will work these games, but a lot of the courts are middle school size or even smaller.

BTW - there's no shortage of guys who will take these games so telling an assignor you will work only a few games doesn't create a problem for them. They actually turn away some refs.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by tref

That is a lot of games to work in one day, especially 2 person. Sometimes you have to work that many to get a decent check with these off-season rates

I know. All these spring leagues around here pay only $20 per game.