NY difference
 

NY uses modified NCAA rules for girls' basketball and NFHS for the boys. If you want to work both you have to be certified separately.

We have TWO seperate associations in my area of the state. (WA) Seperate assignors for each group.

I was told when I was a Rookie, 23 years ago, to "just do the boys side, the girls side will slow your progression as a Boys Varsity official."

This was from the number one rated guy in the boys' association, at that time.

I followed his advice...and it has worked out pretty well. I have never done a H.S. girls game...and only a couple AAU girls games in my entire career.

We have some great officials that do both...but for some reason, the top girls' officials are not rated, by some, as well on the boys' side.

I rate the top girls'/boys' officials with top scores (i.e. 5's...state qualified) but, I know some of the boys' only officials do not rate the girls/boys officials the same.

It is what it is.:o

Once Upon A Time ...
 

About thirty years ago, there were two separate associations, one, IAABO, with different local boards, covered all boys games in Connecticut, and the other, the "girls board", actually our commissioner/secretary/treasurer called them "Brand X", covered all girls games.

As Title IX kicked in, and as more, and more, girls started playing basketball, some of the girls teams began to be coached by men, who wanted to teach their players a "man's game". These coaches didn't want their girls walking the ball up the court, and didn't want to sit back in zone defenses, like the girls used to play back in the olden days when the players wore bloomers. These coaches wanted to coach aggressive teams, teams that would fast break at every opportunity, teams that would play man to man defense, teams that would press full court.

Well, the "girls board" officials, officiating only girls games, couldn't handle these changes. These officials handled these players like delicate flowers, i.e. don't touch. Incidental contact wasn't part of their vocabulary.

So, some of these aggressive style, mostly male, coaches appealed to their athletic directors to hire IAABO officials for their games. It started with just one conference, and year, after year, new conferences were taken over by IAABO.

About five years ago, there was only one "girls board" association remaining, and they only covered a few Catholic school girls games, and a few boys games at schools that didn't like our IAABO officials for some petty reason, or another. My local board merged with this one last remaining "girls board" association a few years ago and now Connecticut is 100% IAABO for all high school games, all prep school games, and most middle school games, both male, and female.

Anybody ever hear of the word "monopoly"? Well that's what we've got here in the Land of Steady Habits. We should fall over the control of the Public Utility Commission.

NH had two assns until about 6 or 7 years ago.

After tonight, I'm convinced that I'm just about done working girls games. Even if it means I sit home more often, I'm cutting them from my schedule. There's just no joy in these games for me. And tonight I had a game that wasn't settled until 2 FT made it a 4-point game with 3 seconds left.

Every year I have a couple of girl's games like this too (one of them was last night too). I say I'm going to give them up but there I am the next year still taking them. Maybe you should consider blocking certain conference's girl's games? We did that to a rural conference. The girl's games in that conference were brutal and so were the fans. Life has been alot better since we eliminated that.