Defining a Harried Assignor
 

Last Friday night, 6:30 PM, I'm deeply involved in important domestic work (OK lying on the couch waiting for the pizza delivery) and the cell rings.

Assignor (for Weekend Tournament): I need help now, can you get here?
Me: Sure, where do you need help?
Assignor: On the court next to me!

Pause

Me: Yes, but where are you?
Assignor: Oh, yeah. (I hear his whistle) He names the college where help is needed. (20 min from house)

Ate the pizza three games and five hours later. Then did 10 more games on Sat and Sun.

Riveting.

It's hard to beat a fresh, hot pizza on Friday night in the off-season.

If assignor's got tournaments to pay better, there wouldn't be such a shortage of officials.
A few years ago I decided that I wasn't going to worry about their lack of refs anymore. I would do three games per day and that's it. If the event was short, then they should attract more officials instead of running those that they have into the ground.
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.

Preach on, brother.

I get a ton of emails from people desperate for officials for these games. Many of these games pay $20/hour (games are played on the hour around here -- usually 20 minute running clock halves and finish in about 50 minutes or so) and that simply doesn't get me all that excited to work a lot of games.

Then when I think about it some more, I usually don't work at all. I've done one weekend of basketball during the off-season -- a tourney assigned by a really nice guy and good official who I'm happy to help out. They pay $25, which to me is still lower than what I think it should be these days.

Then again, if people are willing to work for what they're paying, I guess the rates are set where they needed to be. Doesn't mean I have to work, though.

One word...
 

Organize.

I'm part of an organization in NYC that works games all year long, including what you now see on ESPN as the Entertainers' League (it used to be the Rucker Pro League). The main issue is always fees. We get more but we also promise more (guys will show up on time, they'll be properly trained, etc.).

I know we get more in my area than the majority of places but we tell tournament organizers if they wan't to pay less for an offical that's their decision but that's also the quality they'll get.

When I lived in GA 12 years ago they paid $15 (!!!!!)/game for men's rec league. Some even paid $10 and guys took it...and it showed. At that time my NYC group was getting $50/game for men's ball.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

3-man is always an enticement to me, but I won't go under $20/game. It's not just the money, it's the type of environment and competition that comes with venues that can't/don't want to pay officials decent compensation.