Physical tests...

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Man, I hate the digital exam part.

Take the train...TSA is hardly involved there.

[Nevadaref]

Yes, starting last season.
I believe that my local association is not unlike many others in that there are several officials who are overweight. Of course, each of them holds the opinion that they can keep up and that their physical appearance or size doesn't hurt his calling ability. Sadly, it does. They just don't see it because they aren't in a position to observe what they are missing. I wish we could have video from a different angle to show them.

We time two agility/speed drills.

1. A ladder drill. Start on the endline. Go near FT line and back, midcourt and back, full court and back. Takes about 14 seconds for the fit and quick people.

2. A box drill. Using the FT lane. Start where one lane line intersects the endline. Run forward to the elbow, sidestep across the FT line to the opposite lane line, run forward to the endline, sidestep across the endline to the opposite lane line (starting point), reverse the last two parts of the drill, sprint from the elbow to a point on the endline near the 3pt line, sprint to midcourt. Takes about 17 seconds.


You wouldn't believe how much whining we got from people after implementing this last season. Many people have no desire to run or to get themselves into physical shape. They just want to work games and get a paycheck. It's really sad. The worst part is that several of these people have been considered amongst our top officials for the last decade.

[tomegun]

Nevada, is that the association up north or California? I would love to implement that here; it is hard enough trying to convince the board to NOT cut our meetings.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by tomegun

Nevada, is that the association up north or California? I would love to implement that here; it is hard enough trying to convince the board to NOT cut our meetings.

That is the NV association. We hold a clinic at a local HS on a Saturday in October each year. We have access to the gym. We have four stations which each last about an hour. We simply made one of the stations the fitness drills.

Attendence is mandatory and people are informed well ahead of time about what is involved and asked to come dressed appropriately to participate.

[Judtech]

One thing to consider is that for associations who are struggling to have enough members to cover games adding one more hoop to jump through could thin the number of people available or who are willing to go through them. (yes all puns intended)
While there are some associations that have plenty of officials there are others who need as many warm bodies as they can get. I personally have no problem submitting to one but can understand why some associations don't have them.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Judtech

One thing to consider is that for associations who are struggling to have enough members to cover games adding one more hoop to jump through could thin the number of people available or who are willing to go through them. (yes all puns intended)
While there are some associations that have plenty of officials there are others who need as many warm bodies as they can get. I personally have no problem submitting to one but can understand why some associations don't have them.

Depending upon the situation of the individual association, the fitness requirement can be mandatory for postseason eligibility, regular season Varsity games, regular season sub-varsity games, or any combination thereof.

[truerookie]

Being an independent contractor, I believe it’s at your discretion on how you what to proceed with this concept. It’s a bunch of bullsh#t. I hope the leadership of these associations has weighed the pros and con’s and have a pool of capable officials IF there is attrition from their association.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by truerookie

Being an independent contractor, I believe it’s at your discretion on how you what to proceed with this concept. It’s a bunch of bullsh#t. I hope the leadership of these associations has weighed the pros and con’s and have a pool of capable officials IF there is attrition from their association.

OK, so let's say you are a real estate agent, but you don't have a car. You have a bus pass and you can get to every house visit, you just may get there late. Is that a good look for the company?

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by truerookie

Being an independent contractor, I believe it’s at your discretion on how you what to proceed with this concept. It’s a bunch of bullsh#t. I hope the leadership of these associations has weighed the pros and con’s and have a pool of capable officials IF there is attrition from their association.

Also, being independent contractors, the assigning organization have the right to give the contract to someone else for just about any reason that is not one of a few protected classes....and being unfit is not one of them.

Some organizations might find that younger promising refs might stay a little longer if they saw the older less fit officials not getting assignments that have passed them by 10-15 years before.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by truerookie

Being an independent contractor, I believe it’s at your discretion on how you what to proceed with this concept. It’s a bunch of bullsh#t. I hope the leadership of these associations has weighed the pros and con’s and have a pool of capable officials IF there is attrition from their association.

I can tell you that WEIGHING the issue was certainly foremost on our minds when we put this in. For the people who took your attitude and didn't cooperate, we simply informed them that they are independent contractors and they didn't have to do anything. However, we also let them know that as such they don't have a right to any assignments. If they chose not to qualify themselves for certain levels of games, then they wouldn't receive those assignments. It was really that simple.

[Adam]

Nevada, why have them run backwards?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Nevada, why have them run backwards?

and why have them run 1.5 miles? That seems to have almost nothing to do with basketball officiating.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Nevada, why have them run backwards?

Originally Posted by Bob Jenkins

and why have them run 1.5 miles? That seems to have almost nothing to do with basketball officiating.

I believe Nevada is talking about a soccer fitness test, not basketball. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Silver.)

In soccer, we do run backwards sometimes. I know the basketball mentality is that running backwards doesn't look good (especially when I caught my heel and crashed near the bleachers last winter), but it's a necessity in soccer, particularly when you're working a two-man crew, and you find yourself 10-20 yards from your touchline (sideline).

While we don't have a fitness test for our basketball board, we are required every year to submit our time of a 1.5 mile run.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by truerookie

Being an independent contractor, I believe it’s at your discretion on how you what to proceed with this concept. It’s a bunch of bullsh#t. I hope the leadership of these associations has weighed the pros and con’s and have a pool of capable officials IF there is attrition from their association.

Why is it a bunch of bullsh#t? There are a lot of jobs that have physical requirements to perform.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Why is it a bunch of bullsh#t? There are a lot of jobs that have physical requirements to perform.

I agree. We are talking about proving you can run for a job that requires you to...wait for it...run! We also aren't talking about Olympic-level requirements.

Kind of reminds me of people in the Air Force complaining about the PT test.