Since the TO discussion was lively........
I am not sure if you all have these types of people in your associations, but it would be interesting to see.
We have a few officials who will go to great lengths to avoid any overtimes. They view overtimes as some lapse in officiating. When I heard this I was some what shocked. If the game goes into overtime it goes into overtime. I don't buy this "We don't get paid extra for overtime" theme.
Agreement?

To me, an overtime period simply adds to the excitement of a game. I'm happy to stay for another 4 minutes. Maybe I'll change my mind after I've been reffing for several years, but anyone who feels that overtime is a burden should probably reconsider their involvement in the game.

It is the same way in my association. However, I think it is said more tongue-in-cheek. If it takes an overtime or two, it just means you're working a great game. I'll take that over a 30+ game anyday!!

MJ

Last Friday during halftime (girls varsity -- close game, but not a cleanly played half) I told my partner that we needed to burn something to keep the overtime gods happy.

The visiting team nailed a three at the buzzer to send the game into OT. Naturally I smiled, went to the table, informed them of the timeout and foul considerations and worked a great overtime period.

At least to me, it's always tongue and cheek. But I work baseball -- even a multiple OT basketball game seems short to me.

Rich

I never minded the OT games that were close, well played contests by two evenly matched teams. I am usually enjoying myself so much that I don't want the game to end anyway!

Now the girls JH games that go to OT at 8-8 are a different story. Kind of like the story of slow torture!

In my very adament position officials who think this way are totally in the wrong livelyhood. What official who loves the game would not want to and get excited about the opertunity to work an extra period in an obviously well played game. These officials who "will not let" a game go into overtime are doing an injustice to the kids!!! Tell them to take up umping beer leaguer softball. Soory to be so adament about this, but we have a couple of officials like this in our assoc. and I have little respect for that attitude. We are out there for the kids not ourselves...

I think most of the anti-overtime talk is in the J.V. or B squad games. Most officials like a good overtime game. It adds to the excitement. I guess most of us are in this business for that reason. Otherwise, you could make more money bagging groceries at the Piggly Wiggly!

..
 

hey, nothin wrong with the Piggly Wiggly!

I never said there was. In fact the carry-outs make more per hour than I do reffing. Considering my time to travel to and from the games and contacting A.D.'s for games.

If we are in a tight game and my partner is the R, I usually tell him that if we go into OT it is his/her fault...but I am always kidding :) I don't think that I have met a good official who really thinks about that.

..
 

Just jokin with ya joe

Gotta agree with you here
 

We have lately been averaging 40-50 points per game (pretty darn good for 8th grade girls), but we really were struggling this fall. Had 32 minute game where we went into overtime at 11-11. Ended up winning 21-15 after a 5-minute OT. Hard to say why we found it so hard to play the game for the first 32 minutes, but those games are awful to be around for all participants.

However, in this case, the overtime was probably the best thing of all because it was the first time it looked slightly like basketball.

I love OT
 

I think its fun to work OT, the intensity goes up and it gives you a "Play-Off" atmosphere. I've only worked a couple, but this year I was fortunate enough to work a crazy, well-played, well-coached and extremely well-officiated(I'm not modest) 4 Overtime 108-107 Varsity Boys High School game. It was a great Friday night crowd, the kids played hard and shot the lights out - it was extremely loud - probably my favorite game I've ever worked. I think OT officiating is a good test to know if you are a good "pressure" official or not, my partner and I tested out well that night. It sure beat the 25-point blow-out yawner I worked last night.

The crews that I work on, will usually tease each other about ot's just as many others have expressed. I find this to be especially true during tournaments when an ot can throw the schedule off for the rest of the day.

This past summer, at the AAU 17u boys national tournament here in Orlando we had a court go 9 (yes that's right), nine overtimes. We gave the 3 guys on that floor a lot of grief the rest of the day. Game finally ended, one team only had 4 players on the floor at the end. A fantatastic game with kids making remarkable plays to stay alive.

Coaching in these games is tough enough. I really can't imagine how tiring it must be to officiate a game that is really on the line for 4 OT periods. It may have been close all game, but it certainly is in the balance for about 25 consecutive minutes, with every call in OT carrying a little extra weight.

So not only do you get the extra physical exercise, but that mental effort has got to be a bit draining as well.