Contacting Partners

[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.

[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.

[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?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by letemplay

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

Not me. Not allowed here.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Rich

Not me. Not allowed here.

Injury to an official with one minute to go in the fourth period of a completely lopsided game? Injury to an official with seven minutes to go in the first period of a game between arch rivals, in a packed gymnasium? Injury to an official as he is about to toss the ball for the openng tap, in a game between arch rivals, in a packed gymnasium?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Injury to an official with one minute to go in the fourth period of a completely lopsided game? Injury to an official with seven minutes to go in the first period of a game between arch rivals, in a packed gymnasium? Injury to an official as he is about to toss the ball for the openng tip, in a game between arch rivals, in a packed gymnasium?

State rules forbid starting a basketball game at any level (from freshman on up) with fewer than 2 officials. Once the game starts, however, we could work with one, if necessary. At least that's how I read it.

I dislocated my kneecap six years ago in a boys game where we had 11-0 against 9-1. It ended my season. The other guy is a great official, but we decided to call halftime 2+ minutes early while they found someone to work with him. They did -- a guy that worked a lower level game at a nearby school. He was over his head and mainly called out of bounds lines, but it was still better than having just one official try to keep up with everything.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Rich

It was still better than having just one official try to keep up with everything.

Agree. Even if the "certified" official is just a warm body, it's a lot better than working a game, on any level, with just one official.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Agree. Even if the "certified" official is just a warm body, it's a lot better than working a game, on any level, with just one official.

Thread is taking a little detour here.....

In my neighborhood, there is rarely a HS V game without a lower level game preceding it. We would simply press one of the lower level refs into duty for the V game if needed.

I don't know that I wholeheartedly agree with BillyMac's quote above....I once worked a HS V Boys game with a last minute replacement ref. I don't think this guy had ever stepped foot on the floor before. He wouldn't blow his whistle for anything. I ended up sending him home at halftime becasue I was basically calling the game by myself anyway.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by letemplay

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

Me. Unless I could 'dig up" a certified IAABO member to help me. Otherwise I'm working the game alone, and here in Connecticut we have some "unofficial" one man mechanics to use. Of course, before doing a game alone, I would be on the phone with my assigning commissioner, who, of course, would want to talk about the situation with the site's athletic director, or faculty manager, or the site director, as well as talking to both head coaches. Lots of hoops to jump through, but one could possibly have a one man varsity game here in the Constitution State.