Dealing with Bias

[rainmaker]

Okay, all you hard-heads that really, truly don't care who wins, stop reading. This question is for the tender-hearted as well as biased or involved refs, who do care (at least a little) who wins.

This year, I am in the best physical shape I've ever been in, and my mechanics may need some polish, but they are more correct and automatic than not. And, I'm starting to be in position most of the time. But I am noticing more and more that my judgment is affected by my biases.

I'm not talking about conscious decisions to run a game a certain way, such as calling fewer travels on one team because they commit so many of them, or cracking down on touch fouls by a team that is pressing with a 40-point lead. This is more of a sub-conscious filter, such as not seeing certain violations, because of favoring or pitying someone. Calling more fouls on one team becuase the coach is yelling too much. That kind of thing.

It doesn't happen all the time, but I've noticed enough to detect a pattern. A) if I know someone who is playing, I tend to be harder on them than the other players. B) if one team is the odds-on favorite to win, or is clearly more skilled than the other team, I am much harder on them. C) if I get very annoyed with someone, either coach or player, I tend to be much harder on them or their team.

Obviously, this needs to change. But I'm not sure how to do it. If I ever want to work at the State Tournament, (and I do!) I can't be biased against Oregon City, any more. But how do I get rid of this?

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by rainmaker
Obviously, this needs to change. But I'm not sure how to do it. If I ever want to work at the State Tournament, (and I do!) I can't be biased against Oregon City, any more. But how do I get rid of this?

I did a game this year at my alma mater this year. It was a home game for them, so I officiated in the gym I played in. I was at the place I grew up. I was even officiating the star player that Grandfather was a big time official and mentor of mine. I knew this kids father and officiated this young man several times when he was much younger and not in HS. So for me personally, there was a lot of emotions going on in my head when this game started. The visiting AD knew I was from this school and I still had to do my job.

I guess the best way to say this, is what you want your reputation to be. Do you want to be seen as someone that truely is objective or someone that takes sides? Just call what you seen despite your personal feelings. No different than any other aspect of your life. If you work at a position in your daily life where objectivity plays a part, just do what you normally do. I do not want to suggest it is always easy, but it can be done easily if you put your mind to it.

Peace

[Malcolm Tucker]

If you want to be a quality official then this has no part whatsoever in your game. Deal with it now. Speak often with senior officials about ways and means of overcoming it.

[whistleone]

Move to a different state, stop reading the paper, don't watch the sports on the news, strive to do the best job you can every time out no matter who's playing. It's starting to work for me.

[Blackhawk357]

Originally posted by rainmaker

Obviously, this needs to change. But I'm not sure how to do it. If I ever want to work at the State Tournament, (and I do!) I can't be biased against Oregon City, any more. But how do I get rid of this?

Here are a couple little tips, take them for what their worth ~

-Always remember that in order to advance to whatever level you aspire, you need to have the coaches on your side. This in no way means you give ANYONE an advantage on the floor. In fact, just the opposite. You will never be their friend, and you don't want that. You want to have their respect. I will never work for a coach that is a good friend, it is a no win situation. And this lesson was learned the hard way, believe me.

-You can get into much deeper trouble, much faster by not giving a coach a T when he deserves it, than by giving him one when he does not deserve it. ~ True story.

-And last, try to understand what each coach is thinking about a call. You may think that you are making a friend by giving one side a break, but in reality you are loosing respect on both benches. Remember that the coachesÂ’ respect is what will help you advance faster than anything, including friendship.

Blackhawk

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by Malcolm Tucker
If you want to be a quality official then this has no part whatsoever in your game. Deal with it now. Speak often with senior officials about ways and means of overcoming it.

I DO want to be a quality official, and I know it has no part of my game. So here I am asking senior officials, what are the ways and means of overcoming it?

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by rainmaker
what are the ways and means of overcoming it?

Juulie, this is a really hard question to answer. But here's my best shot. You said that it's a "sub-conscious" thing. So my only advice would be to make a conscious effort when you're on the floor to disregard previous associations. At first, this will be tough, b/c you'll already be consciously sorting through all kinds of activity. And then you'll have to add one more judgment on top of the advantage/disadvantage question.

"That's Mike. Tsk, he bumped the dribbler. He knows better than that. [Arm starts to rise] Well, dribbler's still going to the basket. Guess I shouldn't call that one just b/c it was Mike."

I don't know if that's really your internal dialogue, Juulie, but I'm just trying to illustrate how you might consciously work through those little pre-conceived or tender-hearted biases.

Does that help?

Chuck

[mick]

Originally posted by rainmaker
I DO want to be a quality official, and I know it has no part of my game. So here I am asking senior officials, what are the ways and means of overcoming it?

Jewel,
You recognize a problem,
and that is prime.
Now all you need
is the tincture of time.
mick

[Back In The Saddle]

I get to deal with this on a weekly basis. I work as a volunteer in a local church league and one of the teams I call often is from my own congregation. These are kids I've gotten to know well. However, as I'm sure you know, church leagues are breeding grounds for distinctly unchurchlike behavior from otherwise well-behaved individuals. And, did I mention that the skill level is pretty dismal? It becomes really easy to dislike a coach or player or an entire team.

Perhaps this only works for me because I'm a rookie and still have to conciously work on mechanics and stuff all the time, but...when I take the floor I think of the two teams only in terms of their jersey colors and numbers. I don't use their names verbally or mentally. If any thoughts about the individual start slipping in, I push them right back out. Similarly, the coach is known only as "Coach." I pretty much detach myself from the people and focus only on the game situation. It becomes like a puzzle almost, with fouls and violations to spot, mechanics to execute, but definitely not about the people involved.

It may not work for everybody, but it works for me. Good luck!

[wizard]

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle
Similarly, the coach is known only as "Coach."

It makes it kind of tough when "Coach" wants to continually call you by your first name as your running by him, "John, I can't believe you didn't see that push! C'mon, John!"

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by mick

Jewel,
You recognize a problem,
and that is prime.
Now all you need
is the tincture of time.
mick

Exactly. Over time the little voice that says: "Geeze, I don't want to call that foul because..." starts to whisper "Oh my, I hope she doesn't make me call one here" and that becomes "Too bad for him but he's gonna get one here". And eventually the little voice is gone! Completely! IMO the key is to focus on making each call as consistently and professionally as possible, and to convince yourself that each & every call you make is the best one anyone can make. And to be a real hardass...errr...hard-head about it.

Anyway, I liked Mick's poem so much I felt a need to post my own. It tends towards "adult" humor, I hope it gets through the "Big Brother" filter:

There once was a hermit named Dave
Who **** a **** ***** in *** ****
He had to *****
It ***** like ****
But think of the money he saved!

[Mark Padgett]

Juulie - we discussed this last night at our games and I thought I would share with the others what I said. After you do a whole dumpload of games, your calls become instinctive. You aren't even thinking of who the players or teams are, you just see a foul or violation and the whistle goes off and your arm goes up.

As to your comments about calling ticky tack fouls on teams that are up 40 and pressing (or any similar situation) - remember that your job as an official is not to "level the playing field", but to call the game evenly both ways. The rules are there to give each team an equal opportunity to win and the team that plays the best should win if you've done your job properly. That's how it should be - that's their reward for playing better than the other team - they get to win.

Just keep working on it and it will come eventually.

If you think this means I have a "cold-hearted" approach to officiating - thank you.

[wizard]

Being a newer official, and a even newer member of this board, I want to thank all senior members for your honesty in response to this subject. (And other issues as well.) Your ability to admit that you ARE human, and suggestions on how to deal with issues that some would be unwilling to admit exists is appreciated. This forum is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to aspire to officiate to the best of their ability. Thanks for the words of wisdom. Keep 'em coming.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by wizard


...you ARE human...

Ahhh, I see you haven't met Jurassic Referee yet!

[Mark Padgett]

I thought this was him: