Physical tests...

[bainsey]

Does your association do them?

[ref2coach]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Does your association do them?

No, but I sure wish we did. I am often embarrassed to be standing with 2 referees who are so rotund that they waddle to the pre-game meeting with Game Administration.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by ref2coach

No, but I sure wish we did. I am often embarrassed to be standing with 2 referees who are so rotund that they waddle to the pre-game meeting with Game Administration.

Then how do you tell them apart from the coaches - by their shirts?

[NCHSAA]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Does your association do them?

We are bringing them into our association this coming year, which is great!

[JRutledge]

No.

Peace

[Adam]

No, but it's part of our evaluations.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

No, but it's part of our evaluations.

Ours too: "Official is in physical condition and exhibits hustle and energy through the game".

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

"...exhibits hustle and energy through the game".

OT, but

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by ref2coach

No, but I sure wish we did.

Concur.

Originally Posted by ref2coach

I am often embarrassed to be standing with 2 referees who are so rotund that they waddle to the pre-game meeting with Game Administration.

While not THIS bad, I understand your point. But, I kinda like being the "thinner-one."

[26 Year Gap]

Back before the gap, there was official in our association that was told he would not do any games until he lost weight and improved his appearance. He looked to be expecting triplets. I moved away after graduation, so I do not know the end result. There is a guy in my new association like that. But nobody will tell him to get with the program. He needs to lose 150 lbs. At my clinic this summer, he got assigned to my crew of 3. The post-game talk was 90% about him being out of shape. Much of the other 10% was directed at us, of which a good share could rightly (and was silently) be attributed to him being out of position.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Physical tests: Does your association do them?

Man, I hate the digital exam part.

[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.

[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.