Advice for our members
 

Recently I posted about having to remove a head Varsity coach from my JV game because he was inciting the crowd. And as he was leaving he threatened to wait in the parking lot for me. Turns out that coach did sit out the next game.

I just got an email from the assignor telling me I have been removed from lower level games for that school. This was at the school's request. At first I was a bit surprised, but felt understanding, as an assignor I'm sure she's just doing what's easiest for her. She never asked me my side of the story, although I did file a report, so she may have read it.

However, I'm starting to feel a bit upset about this, as I think more an more about it. I'm even considering just turning back all my lower level games for this assignor.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Communicate with your assignor before deciding anything. This is probably best handled via phone.

So the coach gets reprimanded by CHSAA, and the assigner acquiesces to the shool's demands? If I were you, I'd ask her what she thinks you could have or should have done differently.

I get that assigners up there are probably competing for schools, but this is ridiculous.

This is why some officals will not Kick a coach or player out!! Sorry, but the assignor does not have your back on this one...plus to not pick up the phone and walk you thru this and just remove the games..Not Good!

She might have done it for your own good. To keep you away from that school could be best for both parties. Just a thought.

At the school's request? Any assigner worth his/her salt would have left the schedule alone; and maybe put Toren on a varsity game for that school.

And I wouldn't turn back any games you've accepted, but I would consider not taking any games from her in the future if you can work without her. First, however, I would call her and see if there's something she thinks you could have done differently.

If she says you should have ignored him, then I'd strongly consider not taking any more games from her (next year, perhaps).

Meaning you can still work Varsity games at that school?

+1

I think this is the best course of action.

This particular assignor only assigns the lower level games. The varsity games are done by a different assignor. I did not have this school on my schedule this year.

Sure. Acquiescing to the school's request may be best. I'd like to think that our assignors have our backs, and that doesn't solely mean sticking his/her neck out for us in a tough spot. Sometimes that can be done by preventing said official a headache.

Putting myself in Toren's shoes, I'm not sure I'd want to go back to that school.

Then her email was nothing more than an insult, IMO. I would still follow through with the phone call, a lot of times emails can come off much differently than intended. She may have some insight you can learn from.

I would. Coaches shouldn't be able to dictate their officials; because in situations like this, the coach has now instilled an atmosphere of fear. When word spreads that Toren was blackballed from the school for taking care of business, how many newer officials who need this assigner are going to actually take care of business.

I'm not Toren, but it's always nice to have the option to go where we want. A certified varsity official blackballed at the lower-level... C'MON MAN!!

I wouldn't loose too much sleep over it. In may cases, the school has the right to scratch an official (or multiple) for a multitude of reasons. Don't let that school affect your ability to work other games in that conference. Chances are you'll just get other assignments in place of that school. Their loss! Do you really need that headache again anyway?

So I called her
 

She said it's standard policy for her that when an official has an ejection from a game that they "switch" games and removed from that school for the remainder of the season, as precautionary.

I had that school, lower level, again on February 11. So she is going to find someone that had a site that is close in proximity to my game and switch us. She also said she hasn't read my report on the issue and she is definitely not siding with the school.

She further said, that her boss did look at the report, but that she specificially has not. Consequently, she didn't know if I could have handled it differently, but felt because of the nature of the coaches behavior, it was best for all parties involved.

Who cares!!!!!!
 

Consider it a blessing!!! How many schools will you pass to work that school? Dude this is nothing to get upset by at all. You do not want to go back there so when something else happens they can blame it on your previous incident with them.

If you have not been banned from a school in your career, you are not doing your job. I do not know how your assigning works, but an assignor around here can only control the games they assign. Funny how I get coaches on the road that do not like me in other situations like tournaments, non-conference games or playoffs.

Peace

What headache? If you back up your officials and let them take care of business, these headaches go away.

Oh is that the policy?? Well I have a crappy DH for her tomorrow, but it suddenly turned into an even crappier girls DH. So all I have to do is toss somebody & I dont have to worry about being drawn for this crappy team again? Done deal!

I think that's acceptable, to be honest. It's not permanent, it's not a blackball, and it's reasonable.

I agree to a point...but let's not forget who is ultimately paying us. The school/coach needs to have some degree of control over the product they are paying for. Scratching an official or two is hardly a blackball, unless the assigner removes the official from multiple schools as a result of the initial conflict.

It's been my experience that most coaches are afraid to scratch an official from their school for fear of retaliation by other officials. I've heard this first hand in the form of: "I know you guys all talk...I don't want to draw the wrath of your fellow zebras".

You realized you've just jinxed yourself, right?

This is why these things are area issues. If this happened to me I would be ecstatic. Actually it happened to me this year. If you work in one of these situations where the association or assignor assigns everything for you maybe this is more of an issue. But in my system this would be a blip on the screen. Why would you want to go back to a place that is going to have a bulls-eye on you from the beginning? At least if I go back to the school I had a situation with it will be because they are in the playoffs and they will be more in my area. To me she is supporting her official, she is keeping him out of unnecessary problems at a level that probably is not going to get the prestige or focus. Good move by the assignor if you ask me.

Peace

If you've got one official who repeatedly has issues with a coach, and that coach never has issues with other officials; address it and perhaps do so by not having that official work with that school. But one event does not warrant a blackball (which we now know is not the case here).

Reassigning for one season does seem reasonable, however. It allows enough time to lapse for all parties to get past the emotions of the game.

I agree if it's done as a matter of policy; if it's done at the school's request, I just don't like the precedent.

This is a pretty reasonable policy. She isn't just taking games away from you - she is switching you out. That makes sense for you, her, and the school. Now if she won't send you back there next season, or won't even assign you that school on the road, then there is probably more of an issue there. But this seems like she is trying to take care of you and the school. I would let it slide ( and believe me, I have had to deal with some crazy assignors in the past).

Really? The best assigner I ever had was absolute in backing up his officials in tough spots - always. If an assigner doesn't have your back in tough situations, I don't want to be in that association.

Who gives the assignor the job? I am sure the schools. Who cares how the decision was made if that is going to shut them up and you can work the other teams in the conference? Sorry, but this is a business on many levels and the schools can and do make requests like this all the time. As I said it really depends on what you are used to, but I would be jumping for joy to not go back to this school. It is after all one school.

Peace

I agree. It seemed to me a reasonable explanation. I will definitely keep my eyes on this next season but for this happening the first time I will give her the benefit of the doubt.

You should thank your assignor. Why would you want to back there if he was a jerk?

There are plenty of officials better than you or me who have been scratched at schools at a much higher level.


Fuggetabowdit.

Thanks for all the comments. Extremely helpful.

I know a State Final officials that was scratched from a school based on something that happened in the post season (which "full" already knows was not assigned by the conference) and he laughed about it. Guess what, he went back to that school in the post season the very next year. There is always justice for these kinds of jerks. The coach could not go running to the assignor about that situation.

Peace

Hey man, I'm right with you. My point was, there's more than one way for an assignor to have our back, IMO.

Revenge is best served cold!

JR a coach up our way was in a habit of every time he lost a home game he'd try and scratch officials. Assignor finally told him he'd start sending soph refs as nobody was left.

I assign and officiate so I think I know both sides.

First, if a school doesn't really want me, I don't want to go there. I have one school that I worked at for over 10 years and because I wouldn't dump a previously scheduled football date for one at that school, the AD has determined that I don't work there any longer. That's OK. My ethics mean more to me that one football, two basketball and one baseball game a year.

As an assigner, I will listen to an AD if they have concerns about an official. If their reasoning is solid and officating based, we will work with the official through enhanced training and evaluating. I had a deal a few weeks ago where a principal had an issue with an official regarding language. I worked with the official and told the school that. They invited him back provided his behavior improve. Now everyone is happy.

I agree. My crew lost a conference in football for *years* because I dared to flag a local legend for unsportsmanlike conduct (after we ejected his player for spearing and he decided to argue with me instead of tend to his injured, ejected player).

I haven't had an open Friday night since that incident, so why should I care?

A coach may think he can scratch you, but he can't always scratch you on the road and can't scratch you during the postseason. Coaches really should remember that.

Toren - Sorry that you have to deal with this situation.

On one hand - an assignor needs to put each assigned crew in the best place to succeed. Frankly, after an ejection... it might be best for everyone if you did not work at the school the rest of the year. There should be plenty of other games and hopefully, your assignor will endeavor to fill your now open dates.

I do have a problem if the assignor does not have your back. I sincerly hope that she asked for your side of the story before pulling the games..I understand that an assignor needs to manage the official and coach worlds of her league. As long as you were validated by the rules and handled the situation appropriately and professionally (and validated by tape - probably not available at a lower level game) - then you did your job.

At the end of the day, this decision has been already made and is out of your hands. I would suggest moving on and if you feel strong enough to not work for her, that is your choice. Before you do anything, I would try to have a phone conversation with your assignor so that both of you are clear on the details.

Hey...I was a "soph ref" last night!:p (DH before our varsity game)

I know we tease that Coaches are pretty thick headed...but, most of these guys know a "soph ref" from a Varsity official.

1st Quarter...I was new T coming up the floor when V1 passed the ball. V1 thought I had taken my eyes off of him...so V1 pushed H1 in frustration. Boom...I got the foul and yelled, (for some reason);)..."and that will be the last time".

Coach IMMEDIATELY had a substitue for V1. (smart coach...and I told him as much)

The next time down the court I heard the Coach tell his bench..."hey, these guys are Varsity refs...no messing around tonight!":D

The good ones do....

Meant no disrespect, every varsity guy did soph games on way up.

Not so sure about that. There are a lot of coaches that make assumptions about who they are dealing with as to how an official looks and I am not talking about professionalism of your uniform or even how athletic you are. Sometimes they look at the youngest looking guy and think that official is the least experienced.

A friend of mine that works D1 was working with a guy that this past year worked a game that would be a step away from the State Finals (we climb the latter here). And they were working a JV game on a Saturday morning at a rather good program. The coach from this school assumed that the guys could not "handle" that level of game. He did not realize that the guys he had were probably more experienced than anyone he had all year and one of the guys had worked the varsity game of his biggest rival a few years before the season with me. Both guys are young looking and are very good officials and some guy thought that game on a Saturday was too much for them.

Peace

...none taken, my friend.:)

Occasionally, we get the oportunity to do lower level games...i.e. heavy night, mentor younger officials, etc.

...my ego was just looking for a way to get that statement by the soph coach in...;)

...then that coach IS one of the "thick headed" coaches out there.;)

I filled in on a JV game 2 years ago -- I was scheduled for the varsity game and one of the JV guys bailed last minute.

I'll never forget how the JV coach told me near the end of the game I was the best JV ref he'd ever had. Then he saw me walk out for the varsity game a few minutes later...

He didn't mention OT, though.

Now, THAT is funny.

I didn't read all the responses, but this is my take:

1. There is a school that I have purposely not assigned myself to because of a situation earlier this season. I just don't want or need the perception that I have it out for this coach. Like Rut said, there are plenty other schools I can work at.
2. I had a DII assignor in WV that would remove an official at the coach's request...he would remove the official from any home games and purposely put that official on that team's road games.
3. During my last game with one coach in Mississippi I gave the coach a T. I walked away immediately. When I got into the locker room, my partner told me that the coach said, "You will never work at ______again". If I would have known that on the court I would have thrown the coach out. I had not made it public at the time, but I was retiring from the Air Force and planned on moving back to Vegas after the season anyway - I will probably never see the coach again. But if I do I have one in my back pocket for him. :D

Something tells me I know who that coach is.

Peace

I'm sure you do!