Contacting Partners

[BillyMac]

If we don't confirm our assignments with both the school, and our partner, and then somebody, either our assigning commissioner, the school, or our partner, screws up, then we are considered part of the problem, even if we did nothing else wrong. When something goes wrong (wrong site, wrong date, wrong time, no partner), the first question that our assignment commissioner will ask us is, "Did you confirm your assignment?".

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Through your career every once in a while you'll come across jerks who find it bothersome to contact their partner(s) before games. When my crew chiefs haven't contacted me by a certain time I will contact them via text and email. If I don't get a reply then on the day of the game I will call them.

I've already had two college games where I didn't hear fom the R and reached out to the crew on my own (I was U2). Our assignor wants us to narc on the guys who neglect to pick up the phone or send an email. Oddly enough, for my high school games there's no protocol at all. All they recommend is calling the school to make sure the game hasn't been moved or canceled. I do that and I also email my partner since I, like others, hate working alone.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by JetMetFan

All they recommend is calling the school to make sure the game hasn't benn moved or canceled.

So the assignor assigns you the game and then his work is done?

That makes no sense to me.

[tomegun]

In my corner of Nevada the R contacts the other official(s). For high school we have an Assignment Administrator that handles all contact with schools if a game is cancelled, times are changed, etc. This procedure is basically the same for college.

[BillyMac]

Cancellations due to bad weather are a "free for all" here in my little corner of Connecticut. Athletic directors are supposed to contact the officials, and then the assignment commissioner, who then makes the change on Arbiter. In reality, athletic directors seldom contact the officials, and just contact the assignment commissioner. Because of this, officials are expected to try to contact the school (good luck if it's after office hours, or if it's a Saturday, or a school vacation day), and keep their eye on their Arbiter schedule, when bad weather is in the forecast. Communication between the officials, and the assignment commissioner, is discouraged because he's so busy with athletic directors, and Arbiter changes. There is seldom, if any, communication between officials assigned to the game. There has got to be a better way?

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by tomegun

For high school we have an Assignment Administrator that handles all contact with schools if a game is cancelled, times are changed, etc.

Exactly. The assignor communicates with the AD and assigns the games. Why wouldn't he have the same responsibility in the event of a time change, site change, or cancellation?

That's why I pay him a booking fee. It's not my responsiblity to confirm that the game he is sending me to work is still being played.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

It's not my responsibility to confirm that the game he is sending me to work is still being played.

Maybe once, every other year, my email confirmation (or a post card back in the olden days), will "spark" something in the mind of the athletic director: holiday, or winter, vacation; Martin Luther King Day; mid year exams; boys and girls site, or time, conflict; home and away site mistake; Saturday game; conflict with another school activity (holiday concert, holiday dance); no subvarsity game, leading to an "odd time" varsity start; games that were changed (site, or time) where he forgot to contact my assignment commissioner; etc. Over thirty-two years, my confirmation has prevented about a dozen such "mistakes", "mistakes" not created by, and having little to do, with my assignment commissioner, "mistakes" that may not have been prevented without my confirmation with the athletic director.

[gordon30307]

In my neck of the woods the vast majority of games are on the arbiter. You get an email reminder. Most assigners require that we confirm games with the school. If there's a discepency that I learn of I'll contact my partenrs. Other than that my partners are adults and I assume that they will act as such and show up on time which is at least 45 minutes prior to a varsity contest and at least 30 minutes prior to a lower level contest. Notice I say "at least". I consider myself "late" if I don't meet that criteria.

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

So the assignor assigns you the game and then his work is done?

You got it. Surprisingly, we don't end up with uncovered H.S. games all that often.

I remember it being the same for the NYC Catholics and private schools, at least in Manhattan and The Bronx.

I haven't worked the last two leagues for 7 or 8 years but if memory serves me correctly I didn't even get the name of my partner with those assignments (it was still on paper, no assigning program). All I'd get was the game site, date and time. The schools knew who the officials were and if someone was missing they'd call the assignor.

One thing I will add: thanks to Mr. Camron Rust and Reftown I get a confirmation e-mail at the start of every week for my girls' H.S. games in NYC.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by gordon30307

In my neck of the woods the vast majority of games are on the arbiter. You get an email reminder. Most assigners require that we confirm games with the school. If there's a discepency that I learn of I'll contact my partenrs. Other than that my partners are adults and I assume that they will act as such and show up on time which is at least 45 minutes prior to a varsity contest and at least 30 minutes prior to a lower level contest. Notice I say "at least". I consider myself "late" if I don't meet that criteria.

In this region of the country there have been too many occurences of a single official showing up at the wrong site or mis-reading the date/time, including NCAA games. So supervisors at all levels around here expect the crew to contact each to ensure everyone is on the same page. Being right and being an 'adult' are no help when game time is upon us and there is an official missing.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by gordon30307

In my neck of the woods the vast majority of games are on the arbiter. You get an email reminder. Most assigners require that we confirm games with the school. If there's a discepency that I learn of I'll contact my partenrs. Other than that my partners are adults and I assume that they will act as such and show up on time which is at least 45 minutes prior to a varsity contest and at least 30 minutes prior to a lower level contest. Notice I say "at least". I consider myself "late" if I don't meet that criteria.

I still contact my partners if I am the Referee and it is required at the college level. Just usually want to touch base so that they know when I am showing up or any other items that might be not known. And the thing I hate about Arbiter is the schools do not use it or put the correct information on the site. In one of the conferences the assignor for some strange reason does not want us calling the school. Well I went to the wrong school or site for the game and thank God I went early enough to get to the other school. And the problem was the school did not make it clear on any website where they played their games. I wish they would blow up the Arbiter honestly for this reason.

Peace

[Stat-Man]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I still contact my partners if I am the Referee and it is required at the college level. Just usually want to touch base so that they know when I am showing up or any other items that might be not known. And the thing I hate about Arbiter is the schools do not use it or put the correct information on the site. In one of the conferences the assignor for some strange reason does not want us calling the school. Well I went to the wrong school or site for the game and thank God I went early enough to get to the other school. And the problem was the school did not make it clear on any website where they played their games. I wish they would blow up the Arbiter honestly for this reason.

Peace

Yeah, contact information on Arbiter does not seem to be updated as Athletic Office staff changes. I've found our state association's site to be more up-to-date with contact information and use that for my school contacts.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

Yeah, contact information on Arbiter does not seem to be updated as Athletic Office staff changes. I've found our state association's site to be more up-to-date with contact information and use that for my school contacts.

Our state's page is also more up to date. I would just think that the site information for the school would be accurate on the Arbiter. We have several schools that have multiple campuses and do not play at the listed HS gym. It just would be helpful to have the right address if a conference makes a big deal over us calling the AD (calling the Administrative Assistant works better anyway) to confirm the dates and all we are allowed to do is email them. It is just stupid that is all.

Peace

[Andy]

It used to be around here that the "junior" official on the crew was responsible for contacting the "senior" official(s) to confirm assignments.

All of the HS assignments come through the state association, even for regualr season and tournaments, so the schools are usually pretty good about communicating changes in a timely manner and the state office is usually pretty good about getting that info out to the officials.

Now, the expectation is "Contact your partner, it doesn't matter who initiates the contact."

[letemplay]

Originally Posted by JetMetFan

I've already had two college games where I didn't hear fom the R and reached out to the crew on my own (I was U2). Our assignor wants us to narc on the guys who neglect to pick up the phone or send an email. Oddly enough, for my high school games there's no protocol at all. All they recommend is calling the school to make sure the game hasn't been moved or canceled. I do that and I also email my partner since I, like others, hate working alone.

How many of you would (or have) worked a Varsity game alone?