One man show

[loners4me]

Fresh girls- partner didnt show and I went at it solo. It required me to work significantly harder to see what I could.

Anyway, at halftime AD came in to say good job. I asked him for my missing partners game check for my troubles. He hem-hawed a bit and I asked a little more firm the second time and he agreed.

Was I in the wrong?

On a side note I told the coaches I would call what I saw and if I didnt see who it went OOB on I would ask the players. If there wasnt an agreement I would go to the arrow and I needed honesty tonight.

Only had to go to the arrow once when the ball went oob tableside and coaches couldnt agree, players didnt want to trump coach. One coach says " so much for your honesty talk"
-

[SNIPERBBB]

Sometimes getting the other guys check can be a bit of an issue, at least in my area, since majority of the checks we get are written out before the game and the person presenting the checks arent always the person that has the check book.

[Rich]

Why should the school pay for two officials when they only get one?

Any additional money should come from the official who no showed -- or the association (if one does the assigning).

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by Rich

Why should the school pay for two officials when they only get one?

Exactly.

Each association probably has rules regarding payment for one official. It's likely more than the typical two-official fee, but most likely not the combined checks of two.

Loners, I would have taken the one check, and contacted my association to see what the rate is for flying solo. You could always be mailed the difference.

[BktBallRef]

I wouldn't have asked for the second check.

I also wouldn't have worked the game solo. State association wouldn't want me to work it alone either.

[JetMetFan]

Better to leave with your check and call your association than putting the school on the spot. As was said, it's not the school's fault your partner was AWOL.

For my H.S. games protocol is a fee and a half and I get that directly from the organization.

[representing]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

I wouldn't have asked for the second check.

I also wouldn't have worked the game solo. State association wouldn't want me to work it alone either.

My local chapter, not sure about the state, allows for solo referee'ing for any matches except for Varsity. And if I remember correctly, it is automatically "both checks to the solo referee". but I could be wrong. Happened to me once in my first season, but the official showed up within the first quarter. He ended up going to the visitor's school, thinking that was where the game was. Luckily the two schools were only 15-20 minutes apart. He gave me like $10 or something for soloing the first few minutes.

But I agree, I wouldn't have asked or demanded for the second check. I would have simply emailed my assignor and told him the situation, and then have him take care of it from there, whether the school or the chapter gives me extra money for soloing.

Honestly, are we really in it for the money?

[Stat-Man]

Originally Posted by loners4me

Anyway, at halftime AD came in to say good job. I asked him for my missing partners game check for my troubles. He hem-hawed a bit and I asked a little more firm the second time and he agreed.

Was I in the wrong?

It depends. the policy could be on the state, conference, assignor, etc. level.

Best bet is to see what the policy is for your area and then proceed from there.

[CMHCoachNRef]

Originally Posted by loners4me

Fresh girls- partner didnt show and I went at it solo. It required me to work significantly harder to see what I could.

Anyway, at halftime AD came in to say good job. I asked him for my missing partners game check for my troubles. He hem-hawed a bit and I asked a little more firm the second time and he agreed.

Was I in the wrong?

On a side note I told the coaches I would call what I saw and if I didnt see who it went OOB on I would ask the players. If there wasnt an agreement I would go to the arrow and I needed honesty tonight.

Only had to go to the arrow once when the ball went oob tableside and coaches couldnt agree, players didnt want to trump coach. One coach says " so much for your honesty talk"
-

Years ago when I operated the local Catholic grade school program, I had a referee "demand" double pay for reffing the game -- or he would not referee the game. I instructed the site manager to pay the referee his requested double-pay (at that time, we had no official policy).

I never assigned that referee another game after that season. Further, we ended up creating a policy that formally stated the referee fee when a referee was forced to go solo was 150% of the normal rate.

This amount seems to be fair for all involved. As a soloist, you DEFINITELY have a much harder task -- calling every out of bounds situation, administering every throw-in, calling every foul, reporting every foul, administering every free throw, reporting every time out, etc., etc. At the same time, regardless how good you are, you CANNOT do the work of two officials. Therefore, the teams should not have to pay the full rate.

My recommendation to you would be to cut a check back to the school for 50% of your normal rate. This would likely be well-received by the school and AD (even if he was upset that you demanded the second check).

IMO, ALL CONTRACTS should have this detail spelled out -- even though virtually none of them do. I have done varsity SOCCER MATCHES solo in the past -- and only gotten my normal payment. I would have taken 150%, but did not demand it. But, since nothing was agreed to in the original contract, I was faced with the choice of:
1. Doing the game myself,
2. Sending all of the players (and coaches and parents) home without playing (I would have still gotten paid),
3. Demanding 150% or 200% pay to referee the game (which the AD likely would have done rather than sending everyone home without a game).

While I referee somewhat for the money (otherwise, I would leave the cash/check at each site after each game/match), I really enjoy what I am doing and like the exercise. Had I pursued option 2, I might never have gotten to referee in that conference again -- even though I absolutely had the right to choose that per OHSAA guidelines. Had I chosen option 3 with a 200% request, I may have gotten the same treatment.

I am confident that the AD would have gladly paid 150% if I would have asked -- without any negative ramifications. The game still would have gotten played AND he still would have spent less money than he had budgeted.

[loners4me]

Ok you guys got me thinking I may have been too greedy. Didnt burn any bridges as he mailed me about a couple other dates but I dont want to come off as greedy either.

Appreciate the input guys, it gave me a different view

[Rich]

Originally Posted by CMHCoachNRef

Years ago when I operated the local Catholic grade school program, I had a referee "demand" double pay for reffing the game -- or he would not referee the game. I instructed the site manager to pay the referee his requested double-pay (at that time, we had no official policy).

I never assigned that referee another game after that season. Further, we ended up creating a policy that formally stated the referee fee when a referee was forced to go solo was 150% of the normal rate.

This amount seems to be fair for all involved. As a soloist, you DEFINITELY have a much harder task -- calling every out of bounds situation, administering every throw-in, calling every foul, reporting every foul, administering every free throw, reporting every time out, etc., etc. At the same time, regardless how good you are, you CANNOT do the work of two officials. Therefore, the teams should not have to pay the full rate.

My recommendation to you would be to cut a check back to the school for 50% of your normal rate. This would likely be well-received by the school and AD (even if he was upset that you demanded the second check).

IMO, ALL CONTRACTS should have this detail spelled out -- even though virtually none of them do. I have done varsity SOCCER MATCHES solo in the past -- and only gotten my normal payment. I would have taken 150%, but did not demand it. But, since nothing was agreed to in the original contract, I was faced with the choice of:
1. Doing the game myself,
2. Sending all of the players (and coaches and parents) home without playing (I would have still gotten paid),
3. Demanding 150% or 200% pay to referee the game (which the AD likely would have done rather than sending everyone home without a game).

While I referee somewhat for the money (otherwise, I would leave the cash/check at each site after each game/match), I really enjoy what I am doing and like the exercise. Had I pursued option 2, I might never have gotten to referee in that conference again -- even though I absolutely had the right to choose that per OHSAA guidelines. Had I chosen option 3 with a 200% request, I may have gotten the same treatment.

I am confident that the AD would have gladly paid 150% if I would have asked -- without any negative ramifications. The game still would have gotten played AND he still would have spent less money than he had budgeted.

This is why I like our state policy -- our hands are tied. We cannot start a HS game at any level with a solo official.

[CMHCoachNRef]

Originally Posted by Rich

This is why I like our state policy -- our hands are tied. We cannot start a HS game at any level with a solo official.

Ohio used to have that rule for soccer (may have even been an NFHS rule, not sure). I don't know that we ever had that rule in basketball. The only problem with your state's policy is when one team makes a long bus ride (in last case, the bus ride was over an hour and a half), a "no contest" situation is bad for all involved. At least the policy gets the official out of the middle.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by CMHCoachNRef

Ohio used to have that rule for soccer (may have even been an NFHS rule, not sure). I don't know that we ever had that rule in basketball. The only problem with your state's policy is when one team makes a long bus ride (in last case, the bus ride was over an hour and a half), a "no contest" situation is bad for all involved. At least the policy gets the official out of the middle.

It forces the school to find an official. I only have heard of about 2-3 games not played in the 11 years I've lived here. Rather than shrug and say, "We'll just go with one," they figure out how to get a second here.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by loners4me

Fresh girls- partner didnt show and I went at it solo. It required me to work significantly harder to see what I could.

Anyway, at halftime AD came in to say good job. I asked him for my missing partners game check for my troubles. He hem-hawed a bit and I asked a little more firm the second time and he agreed.

Was I in the wrong?
...-

No you weren't. You did absolutely the right thing.