7th Grade Girls B-Team

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Smitty

I'm not sure I understand the mentality of expecting good officiating at a middle school game. This is the training zone. You may get 2 rookies, or if you're lucky a rookie and a veteran. Only rarely will you get 2 refs who are veterans. I understand even less what the point of complaining about it here does to help.

All I know about the people working these games is this: It's not me. It's not any of my regular partners. Locally: I'm guessing it's new guys and guys looking to make some money. It's silly to expect too much.

[ODog]

Can I ask what the apparent physical condition of the "bad ref" was?

While I agree it may have been a new official just in over her head for the time being, we can't rule out from the stationary/distant trail positioning and the desire to control when post-goal inbounds passes were made that she's entirely too out of shape to be officiating at any level and compensates for that with horrible positioning and self-serving mechanics.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ODog

Can I ask what the apparent physical condition of the "bad ref" was?

While I agree it may have been a new official just in over her head for the time being, we can't rule out from the stationary/distant trail positioning and the desire to control when post-goal inbounds passes were made that she's entirely too out of shape to be officiating at any level and compensates for that with horrible positioning and self-serving mechanics.

Physical conditioning could have nothing to do with it, either. I've seen JV officials stand with their heels on the division line and those guys are thin and appear to be in good shape.

Sometimes it's a lack of training. Sometimes it's just laziness.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Smitty

I'm not sure I understand the mentality of expecting good officiating at a middle school game. This is the training zone. You may get 2 rookies, or if you're lucky a rookie and a veteran. Only rarely will you get 2 refs who are veterans. I understand even less what the point of complaining about it here does to help.

I don't think I'm expecting great officiating. I AM expecting officials that care, that move to the right places, and who don't mail it in. Official A (the guy who called about 8 fouls, and didn't seem out of position all night) is what I expected. Official B (who may very well have been new) didn't seem to care, and was either VERY poorly trained, or didn't listen at all during training, as she seemed to be mailing it in.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by ODog

Can I ask what the apparent physical condition of the "bad ref" was?

While I agree it may have been a new official just in over her head for the time being, we can't rule out from the stationary/distant trail positioning and the desire to control when post-goal inbounds passes were made that she's entirely too out of shape to be officiating at any level and compensates for that with horrible positioning and self-serving mechanics.

Young, not out of shape. 25-ish, I suppose.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I don't think I'm expecting great officiating. I AM expecting officials that care, that move to the right places, and who don't mail it in. Official A (the guy who called about 8 fouls, and didn't seem out of position all night) is what I expected. Official B (who may very well have been new) didn't seem to care, and was either VERY poorly trained, or didn't listen at all during training, as she seemed to be mailing it in.

Ok. What do you want us to do (or say) about it?

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I don't think I'm expecting great officiating. I AM expecting officials that care, that move to the right places, and who don't mail it in. Official A (the guy who called about 8 fouls, and didn't seem out of position all night) is what I expected. Official B (who may very well have been new) didn't seem to care, and was either VERY poorly trained, or didn't listen at all during training, as she seemed to be mailing it in.

Maybe official B hasn't even been trained and was just a warm body that whoever needed to get the officials could talk into doing the game. Maybe the league requires one certified official but not two.

I know that in a few of our middle school games around here that are run as feeder programs for the high schools, the HS coach often gets his players to referee. Most of them have never had any training at all.