Defining a Harried Assignor

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

If you examine the team entry fees, spectators fees, and tournament expenses, you will quickly see that the tournament organizers are making serious money. They can share more of it.

I know of two AAU directors, two separate organizations, both here in Connecticut, who make a living, that is, it's their only full time job, running their organizations.

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I know of two AAU directors, two separate organizations, both here in Connecticut, who make a living, that is, it's their only full time job, running their organizations.

As I may have mentioned in another thread, you (and any member who does any AAU ball) would be very interested to see how wide spread this phenomenom is and how much money we're talking about. If you have a chance, read "Play Their Hearts Out" by George Dohrmann. It's a decade long chronicle about AAU youth basketball...the coaches, organizers, players and other characters affiliated with the organization and shoe companies. A real eye opener.

[Smitty]

It's really just an issue of basic supply and demand. As long as officials will work for what they pay, the payment will not change much. Only when the customer complains loudly enough about the officiating, and they are willing to pay more to play (you don't think the organizers will just give more out of their pocket, do you?), will anything change. Around here there is a pretty big mix of abilities working AAU games. I do it to stay in game shape and frankly I could use the extra pocket money. I am happy enough with the $24 I get per game. But I also bust my *** as I would in any game I'm getting paid for. I don't give less effort because I'm being paid less. I take a job - I'm going to do the job best I can. However, many of my partners put out little effort and that really bugs me, but such is life. As long as the assignors don't care, what can you do?

[hoopguy]

In my area, there is a basic rate of pay that most non high school games pay give or take $1. Every now and then I hear of or get approached to work for less money. I believe there could be a way to distinguish these leagues and tourneys that pay less money.

In my area, leagues and tourneys advertise saying ‘there will be 2 IAABO refs working all games’. I do not want to discuss the pros and cons of IAABO but the organizers ARE using this to promote their league or tourney. My proposal would be for the IAABO boards in my area to get together and agree that the IAABO rate for non high school games is XX and not allow any League or Tourney that pays less than XX dollars per game to promote using ‘there will be 2 IAABO refs working all games’. Obviously, anyone could still work the games but they would not be able to promote it with the ‘2 IAABO refs will be working’.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by hoopguy

In my area, there is a basic rate of pay that most non high school games pay give or take $1. Every now and then I hear of or get approached to work for less money. I believe there could be a way to distinguish these leagues and tourneys that pay less money.

In my area, leagues and tourneys advertise saying ‘there will be 2 IAABO refs working all games’. I do not want to discuss the pros and cons of IAABO but the organizers ARE using this to promote their league or tourney. My proposal would be for the IAABO boards in my area to get together and agree that the IAABO rate for non high school games is XX and not allow any League or Tourney that pays less than XX dollars per game to promote using ‘there will be 2 IAABO refs working all games’. Obviously, anyone could still work the games but they would not be able to promote it with the ‘2 IAABO refs will be working’.

If the two refs they get are actually IAABO, how can you stop them from stating so? I doubt that you can restrict an organization from stating the credentials of the officials on the game....particularly when you don't even own the IAABO brand.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by hoopguy

In my area, there is a basic rate of pay that most non high school games pay give or take $1. Every now and then I hear of or get approached to work for less money. I believe there could be a way to distinguish these leagues and tourneys that pay less money.

In my area, leagues and tourneys advertise saying ‘there will be 2 IAABO refs working all games’. I do not want to discuss the pros and cons of IAABO but the organizers ARE using this to promote their league or tourney. My proposal would be for the IAABO boards in my area to get together and agree that the IAABO rate for non high school games is XX and not allow any League or Tourney that pays less than XX dollars per game to promote using ‘there will be 2 IAABO refs working all games’. Obviously, anyone could still work the games but they would not be able to promote it with the ‘2 IAABO refs will be working’.

If the officials are IAABO officials, there's nothing the boards can do -- the advertising isn't false at all.

Had a guy ask me to help fill an 80 team tourney today. I sent an email. 90 miles away, paying 20 bucks a game. Good luck.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

If the officials are IAABO officials, there's nothing the boards can do -- the advertising isn't false at all.

Had a guy ask me to help fill an 80 team tourney today. I sent an email. 90 miles away, paying 20 bucks a game. Good luck.

Summer varsity-level stuff around here gets $14/game for three-whistles. It's not much, and I probably won't do a lot of it after the next couple of years.

There's no way I'm driving 90 miles, though; not for summer pay. Occasionally, I get asked to go 40-50 miles; too much gas, too much time, not worth it.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Summer varsity-level stuff around here gets $14/game for three-whistles. It's not much, and I probably won't do a lot of it after the next couple of years.

There's no way I'm driving 90 miles, though; not for summer pay. Occasionally, I get asked to go 40-50 miles; too much gas, too much time, not worth it.

I'd work 3-person for $20 simply for the work. $14? Wow.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Summer varsity-level stuff around here gets $14/game for three-whistles. It's not much, and I probably won't do a lot of it after the next couple of years.

That is a ripoff. That is not even minimum wage....and may not even cover the true cost to get to/from the game.

We get $25 for 2-person, JV or V. Typical summer set of 1 JV + 1 V, normal timing rules, $50 and usually stay within about 10 miles (1-way).

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

There's no way I'm driving 90 miles, though; not for summer pay. Occasionally, I get asked to go 40-50 miles; too much gas, too much time, not worth it.

For summer pay, even at $25/game, I would not go 90 miles round trip, and definitely not 90 miles each way unless the opportunity of the specific game made with compelling independent of the pay.

To go 90 miles round trip would cost about $10-15 in gas alone. If it is 90 miles each direction, it would, of course, be $20-30. That just doesn't make any financial sense unless you're going to work 4+ games (and I will not be working more than 3, ever....and typically limit myself to 2). Maybe if you carpooled with 2-3 others would it start making sense a little sooner.

And, If you count the real expense or driving, it would about $40-50 for 90mi. round trip. You'd have to work 2-3 games just to get out of the red....and even then, you'd only net about $10-20 (post travel expense and pre-tax) for 6-7 hours of time and effort (3 driving, 3-4 working, plus whatever you need to add to count for arriving before the game time). $2-3/hour is not exactly compelling.

Too many people gloss over the real expense of travel and only count the cost of the gas. Gas is less than half the expense of travel. You have to count the cost of the car itself along with typical maintenance and repairs. Those will add up to more than the gas over the life of a car....even at today's gas prices. You just don't have to pay all of it on the day of the game.

[amusedofficial]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

If the officials are IAABO officials, there's nothing the boards can do -- the advertising isn't false at all.

I disagree. We live in an era when Best Buy's big screen TV spots before Super Bowl weekend refer to "the big game" because they'll get sued for saying "watch the Super Bowl on your new TV" even though the Super Bowl is what they'll watch.

The hucksters canot use IAABO or any the name of any other officials organization to promote their get-rich-quick scheme without the permission of the organization, and the national can delegate the authority to grant permission to local boards.

That said, a lot of these AAU operators use the phrase "patched officials."

Perhaps Dicky Lee is working the game.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by amusedofficial

I disagree. We live in an era when Best Buy's big screen TV spots before Super Bowl weekend refer to "the big game" because they'll get sued for saying "watch the Super Bowl on your new TV" even though the Super Bowl is what they'll watch.

The hucksters canot use IAABO or any the name of any other officials organization to promote their get-rich-quick scheme without the permission of the organization, and the national can delegate the authority to grant permission to local boards.

That said, a lot of these AAU operators use the phrase "patched officials."

Perhaps Dicky Lee is working the game.

It is a certification and training organization for officials, not a product like the Super Bowl. The only way you can keep someone from using it in the context of the qualifications of the officials working their event is to keep your officials themselves from using it for all events they participate in. And that would essentially make the existence of the organization irrelevant. The officials are either IAABO certified or not.