Separate associations, girls/boys high school?
 

Someone recently asked me whether our state should have separate officials' boards for girls and boys high school basketball, since they're, in his view, "different games."

Of course, there are separate associations at the college level -- as the rule sets are different -- but I've never heard of such a thing in high/middle school. Before I definitively say so, I'm checking here. Does any place have that?

We have one HS league thats ran by a DI guy & he assigns boys staff & girls staff of officials. He runs the league like an NCAA conference & personally, I really like it! R makes a phone call after every game, preseason meeting, weekly email updates, etc. Accountability is not a bad thing.

IA has seperate state associations for Boys and Girls sports. The officials choose if they want to belong to either or both of the associations. If you don't belong to one you are not licensed to work those games (i.e. if you only join the boys association you don't work girls games).

There are several states that have separate rules for boys and girls. I don't have a list, but it seems like there are several in the northeast...

While Iowa has different state organizations for girls sports vs boys sports, your friend's reasoning is flawed. Most local boards include both boys and girls.

I would be thrilled if we did that here. I'd probably only join the boys group.

Girls basketball in New York is played under NCAA Women's rules I believe. NY appears to have their own association for Girl's Basketball officials.

Exactly the same in our state.
Only difference, boy's board is IABBO, girl's is not. As such (if you're on both boards)....a different shirt patch and jacket for each.

We've had rumors here about ohsaa splitting associations to boys and girls...and splitting baseball/softball associations for the last few years.

It makes sense to a point. I know there are guys here that don't work the required amount of games on the girls side to qualify for tournaments. Though I doubt this will solve it.

I do not think that would go over well here. I wish that was the case so there would be no, "Do you want to work a girl's game" chatter that I get tired of often around here as I do not feel I should have to justify why I work only Boy's sports and this would help that issue for me personally. I just do not see the climate to make that change anytime soon.

Peace

Splitting baseball and softball makes sense: they're different sports, with different rule books.

Splitting boys and girls basketball, not so much.

In NY, we use different rule sets for HS boys and girls basketball, so there are different associations.

Won't happen here in VA for basketball. In fact one association has more games than its roster can handle and started assigning crews to do BV/GV doubleheaders, something that has never done around these parts for AAA (large schools) basketball.

When commissioner spun the story into "we have enough officials, we are just providing equal quality officials for both genders" the state director publicly (newspaper interview) chimed in that she doesn't want officials classified as girls' or boys' officials, just as Varsity officials.

So I know it won't happen in this state and I'm of the opinion it shouldn't be separate, but in practice the progression is GJV, mix of GJV/BJV, mix of BJV/GV, mix of GV/BV, with a goal of almost exclusively BV games.

Baseball and softball SHOULD be split - they are very very different games with different rules and vastly different mechanics.

Around here many assignees cater to those who will only work boys games to the point where those of us who have never made such demands end up with less than 50% boys.

I will have done 58 varsity games this year and 34 of them girls. Seriously thinking about cutting back to the 25-30 I'd get if I work only boys. Of course we have to make that decision 2 years in advance here.

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.