What to do...

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

I think you've misunderstood the entire point. I don't think very many officials think they could not be professional and work a game for a school to which they have a reason to have allegiance to - I think most believe they could be unbiased and could, in all likelihood, do exactly that.

The issue is PERCEPTION. Someone there at the game is likely to know who you are, and that you have the possible allegiance. You could work the perfect game, missing no calls - but still have several close "judgments" to make ... and if ANY of those went toward the school you have the perceived bias toward (even if every call is dead right), the PERCEPTION will be that you (and the assigning organization) cheated their team.

My question to you is when is that not the case anyway? There are people that think we are bias because we share a race with a certain team, they think we live in a certain area or from a certain area or if I work a certain conference or had a team previously. That bar changes with the wind.

I agree that if you can avoid working at a place where you have some actual ties to with a family member that is not the best place to work a varsity game. But if it is lower level games and you were available more power to those. We are never going to make everyone happen and even if we miss a call people draw conclusions that are not there whether a family member is associated with that school or not.

I had two playoff football games one year with the two local HS in my area in back to back weeks. The home school tried to accuse us of being bias or being fair until I told him, "I live right down the street." He stopped complaining and they won the game, but every call seemed to go against them. It does not matter what we do, they will find some slight because they are not looking through objective eyes.

Peace