Working at school where wife works.
 

Should an official be scheduled to officiate during the regular season or playoffs a BV game when his wife is the girls JV coach at that school?

Should?

Honestly that is up to the state, organization or standards in that area or the people that do the assigning.

Peace

Unless there's a state or local association rule against it, I think that's a question the official must make. Personally, I wouldn't.

Ask the assignor for that area. Could be a conflict of interest.

...what do you think?;)

Should they be scheduled into that game and should they accept that game are two very different questions...the assigner may not even be aware of the wife's job at that school. It is up to the official to accept or decline that game. Personally - I'm not going anywhere near that game.

My state has a rule against working games involving any school for which the official or spouse is an employee.

I'd recuse myself.

Too close for comfort.

This thread reminds me of a several war stories.

First: Most of you know that way back in 1974 I became the first male to officiate women's college basketball in the State of Florida. I was attending the Univ. of Miami at the time and my sister was also attending UM and playing on the women's golf team. I also was dating on of the guards on UM's women's basketball team. The NAGWS Officiating Code of Ethics was quite clear: I should not officiate any game involving UM. BUT, I would be assigned to officiate them on the road anywhere from 4 to 6 times a year and the home school knew my situation. On Saturday afternoon I had UM on the road and after my partner called a foul on my GF (her first of the game) I proceeded to four more fouls on her during the rest of the game (they lost the game too), :p. The rest of the weekend was not a very romantic one.

Second: When MTD, Jr. was 10, the umpire did not show up for his youth baseball game. I eneded up umpiring the game from behind the pitcher. In the bottom of the last inning with the scored tied I balked in the winning run for the oppossing team, :D.

Third: MTD, Jr. was a freshmen in H.S. and his H.S. freshmen baseball team's final home game of the season was on a Sunday afternoon. Start H.S. home field is literally across the street from our home. Somehow no umpires were assigned to the game and the assigner (my assigner) couldn't find anybody to cover the game, so I went home and put my plate gear. Start H.S. won the game by 5 or 6 runs, but I ripped Junior out on a curve ball. It was a border line pitch but he know that if the pitch didn't bounce before it got to the plate he had better be swinging. He looked at me and then burst out laughing and trotted back to the dugout. :D

MTD, Sr.

There is no depends....the answer is No.

+1

There are plenty of games to work.

This isn't one of them.

I would say this is not a good idea. I have only seen bad things come out of conflict of interests. Even if you are totally impartial, the perception that you have ties to the school will be exploited by the other teams in the league.

I would make sure your assignor knows about your wife's position and let him/her make the decision.

Mark me down for a no too. In addition to the reasons provided, how am I supposed to look at hot chicks with my wife right there looking at me?

Channeling your inner Padget, I see.

I think it depends hugely on the other circumstances. Is the school an hour away and your wife is the only one there you know, or is it next door to your home and multiple people greet you by name when you walk in the door?

This is why I said "It depends." There are some schools I would go to where more people know me than the place I have an actual association with them. I would not likely want to accept a game that my family member is working at, but under the right circumstances I might rethink this. Having had my integrity questioned by fans because they think I live in one place compared to another, I can get over this perception if I did not have other options. I worked a State Final game with my current home town. I was not going to turn down the game for anyone.

Peace

If you have to ask the question.....

Irrelevant. Its the fact that the wife works there that is the conflict, not how many people know about it or how many other people you know.

The perception of impropriety is more of a problem than actual impropriety, because it is infinitely more prevalent. Is the fact that the wife works there a problem for the official himself? (Oh my gosh, if they lose on a call I make, she won't speak to me all week.) This is extreme, of course, but the point is if thoughts of this nature would ever enter his mind, leave the game alone. If not, I don't see a problem.

You have it backwards.

The issue is when the opposing coach (or someone connected the opposing team) finds out the referee's wife is a basketball coach for the other school (or even on the staff at that school in just about any capacity).

If there were any close calls in the game, it just them team ammunition that we don't need to give them. It appears like a conflict anyway you look at it from outside. It can only undermine the credibility of the official, the official's organization, and officials in general. At best, nothing comes of it, but the negative possibilities just are not worth it.

No win, can't win, won't win.
 

I think you have a risk from all sides.

a. Opponents think you're biased in favor of relative's school.

b. Relative's school thinks you're tougher on them because you're afraid of being called biased.

c. The couch is mighty lonely.