I am a young official in my 3rd year, and was recently chastised for having a neat, trimmed goatee. I was told that unless I shaved clean or went to just a moustache, I would not be advanced to the upper levels, despite above average reviews/scores by our senior officials.

I have searched various publications, ethics codes, etc., and have not been able to find any written rule regarding facial hair on officials. Obviously, I would never go out there with a shaggy beard and unkempt hair, but I feel this "unwritten" rule will hamper my development.

Does anyone have any advice or information that may be of assistance??

Thanks

Yes. this seems to be an unwritten philosophy.
But, it remains your choice.
...Another game within the game.
mick

By whom? It is the people assigning who count.

As Mick said, it's your choice. Decide what your priorities are and that will give you your answer. What's more important to you? Advancing in officiating, or having a goatee? Once you answer that question, you shouldn't have any reservations about either keeping or shaving the goatee, as the case may be. For me, it was an easy choice. I shaved.

How, exactly? As long as the rule is made clear to you, you have the choice to comply or not. If you comply, then it doesn't hamper you. If you don't comply, then it's the goatee that will hamper your advancement.

Just my two cents. As I said earlier, for me it was a no-brainer.

Chuck

Long hair!!!!
 

Seen a Ref at a Varsity game (African American) with long hair in a pony tail.




Whats your thoughts on that????

Hmmmm,
 

Chuck said it best, "what is most important to you?"

Watch the telly and notice how the top notch "TV Guys"
(officials) have their hair and facial hair, it pretty much answers the question.

Edit:

Sorry Woodee,I meant to answer your question:

I do not have any feeling for the issue you describe. I have never worked in an association that would allow a "male" official to work with hair as you described.

[Edited by Tim C on Feb 9th, 2003 at 12:00 PM]

Re: Long hair!!!!
 

My first thought is that the local association wants to increase their African-American numbers, and they're willing to relax the appearance standards to do it. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I'm unfornately left wondering if they'd let a white guy wear his hair the same way. But, then again, I'm perhaps a bit overly cynical.

snaqs

Re: Re: Long hair!!!!
 

I belong to one association that is 99% African-American, we do not have officials working with long hair. Not unless you are female. Now several individuals have facial hair, including myself, but it is cleanly shaven and taken care of. So trying to increase the numbers of African-Americans should have nothing to do with looking professional. As a matter of fact, I do not know many African-Americans with long hair period. Most African-Americans like to keep their hair short, not long.

Peace

Fortunately..
 

I have not had to worry about this problem, yet! (facial hair).
Other unwrittens -- eye wear, long hair, pants with belts.

Unfair, perhaps. But that's the way it is. The community of bball officials want appearance within a certain set of parameters.

Agree with Chuck...it's where your priorities lie. Officials have had to make all kinds of adjustments to advance within the ranks. Life isn't always fair.

In my humble opinion, the person that made the comments about your goatee has too much time on his hands and should take up a hobby like, knitting or origami.

MTD brings up a good point the rest of us missed.

If this was the most significant point the evaluator had to bring up, you're doing pretty well, I'd say.

No facial hair but if you have a beer belly that kes you look like your 9 months pregnant, that's ok I guess. Seen lot's of them.

Actually, I agree with this, too. It seems to me that you should look at it as an encouraging sign. If that was what your evaluator pointed to, then he must think you're ready for bigger and better things and the only thing holding you back will be the goatee.
Like the others said, though, it would be your choice. How important is the facial hair to you in comparison with moving up in the ranks.

snaqwells

Re: Re: Re: Long hair!!!!
 

I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I was making an assumption based on my own experience. I work in a mid-sized metro area with relatively few African-Americans. I was indicating that perhaps there was a desire to bring more A-A refs into the fold, and thus a willingness to relax some appearance standards that don't really reflect an official's abilities.
I don't like the idea of doing it, but I'd have a hard time condemning an association for allowing it without knowing more than was given.

Maybe HS, but not college.
 

Not the higher you go. You might not see musle men or women, but you do not see fat officials at the D1 level and NBA/WNBA level. Just like you do not see the kind of facial hair that we are talking about here as well.

Peace

Andre Patillo, anyone?

He's got facial hair, he's "festively plump," and he's one of the best in the business. I wouldn't exactly call Ted Valentine "svelte" either. Of course, these two guys have been around for a LONG time, and are probably allowed to let themselves go a little bit. :)

A couple of the best officials in our association wear glasses, too. One of the guys wants to move up to college ball, but he can't wear contacts or have LASIK because he has glaucoma or something. Sucks for him, but that's the way it is...

The African-American stuff has taken this thread way off topic. So this is my effort to bring it back. Grow a goatee in the offseason! It's what I do. Being an official isn't a right, so if you want to fit in/advance, shave. Or find an association that doesn't care about the goatee.

Let's make it more simple
 

Ask yourself the following question:

A D1 college group has asked you to join and work a 14 game schedule. They say the following,

"You can work ONLY if you shave all facial hair except for a small mustache."

Would you join the group?

Facial Hair
 

MJS,

I know what you are going through. I shaved my face,head,legs and underarms. It didn't get me anymore Varsity games. I worked 60 games during the off season, Went to 3 clinics to better myself, and still didn't get anymore Varsity games the next year. Here is something you have to remember. It's not the facial hair or how good of an offical you are it's your abiltiy to be a good *** kisser. When I figured it out and could kiss *** with the best of them I started getting more Varsity games. It's who you know, and who's *** you need to kiss. We call it the home boys club. And when you are in the home boys club you can have your facial hair. But until then keep it off.

Clay

Re: Facial Hair
 

Yikes! I believe that if you work hard, and strive to improve, they will find you.

When I first joined the Navy, beards were allowed by uniform regulation (no War of 1812 jokes please :) ). I remember being told that no successful officer would have a beard. On the enlisted side of the house, beards were more common but could impede advancement to the Chief Petty Officer paygrade. Plenty of CPOs had beards, but people sent pictures to the advancement boards in those days and it could have an impact (advancement below CPO was and is by examination with no board). Even today, mustaches are far more common among enlisted than officers, in large part because any facial hair can impede advancement.

This rule is not written down, there are always some exceptions, but the easiest thing to do is to follow the unwritten guidance if you want to move up. Sounds like you face the same thing.

Re: Facial Hair
 

You got a bad, bitter attitude, dude. I have never been an a** kisser, and have worked hard to advance. True, politics play a role sometimes, as it does with many things in life. But to equate level of officiating with a** kissing is a disservice to the rest of the officials.

I wonder if it wasn't your poor attitude, rather than a lack of aptitude that kept you out of Varsity for so long.

[Edited by canuckrefguy on Feb 10th, 2003 at 08:47 PM]

Re: Fortunately..
 

Long hair, yes, or no, for men? Yes or no, for women!?

Re: Re: Fortunately..
 

Juulie,
Long hair on men, no.
For us womenfolks, it's fine. I pull mine back in a ponytail and hairspray the heck out of it so it doesn't fly around.

I don't want to seem like I'm splitting hairs http://www.stopstart.freeserve.co.uk/smilie/buck.gif, but I seem to remember reading in the Fed Manual that officials should be clean-shaven.(I don't have my manual with me.) It could be a state thing, though. Either way, facial hair has little bearing on the quality of the official, unless of course they can't see through it...