When Opportunity Knocks

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Publius

No. The officials want to be available when something comes up at a higher level. That's THEIR decision, and it's fine with me. All I say is, "If you take a game from me, I expect you to work it. If being available to other assignors is more important to you than this game, don't take it." They want to eat their cake, and have it, too.

Many officials have made your exact argument to me. Some want to turn back a crappy college game to do a really good HS game. Some don't want to piss off some other assignor. I've told many, "OK, but it's going to work both ways. You can do that, but if I assign you a game and a better official lets me know he's available, I'm dumping you and giving it to him. Are you good with that?"

Rut's position is correct: they can do that, but they can and will be replaced.

I don't let teams screw the officials, and I don't keep officials who think they're bigger than the game. That keeps me in good stead with officials who want to work, and with teams who want officials.

I'll say it again since you didn't understand it...you want the officials to sit home in case the better game comes up rather than help you out if they can and don't get an assignment from a higher level. You want to be priority #1 with third rate level of games. I understand if you want to establish some sort of deadline for turning the game back, but none at all sounds more like a power trip than reasonable.

It is pretty standard practice here for the assignors to accommodate the upper level assignors. People turn back games for higher games all the time. It is the expected order of things...D3 comes after D2. HS comes after college. MS comes after HS. Etc... It doesn't hurt their assignments one bit. The only issue that bothers anyone is short notice.

In fact, the lower level assignors are grateful they can even get them to do their games because they know that if they make the person choose, they're going to choose the higher level and they'll be left with the next level officials. Sure, it makes the assignors job easier but they really are not putting the best officials they can get on the floor.