7th Grade Girls B-Team

[MD Longhorn]

Not too far removed from what I expected, and similar to my own views.

Game 2 nights ago was horrendous. Yes, my daughter's team was on the losing end (by far) and I tried to take that into account as part of the reason for my frustration. Add to that, I had "3-seconds!!!" guy sitting behind me (he was right ONCE - and even then just by a bit).

2 officials - they switched once. I can live with that though.
8 fouls from one official - somewhat even - I can live with that.
NO fouls from the other official - not even when a player was pushed with 2 hands in the back during a layup attempt, faceplanting right in front of the official.
Same official insisted during the entire first half that our team throw her the ball after the other team made a basket - and since they didn't switch during the first half, this means EVERY basket. Allowing the other team to set up their press, which our coach is too incompetent to teach the team how to get out of. Other official must have said something to her at halftime, as she didn't do this in the 2nd half.
Same official completely ignored backcourt violations twice. Blatant ones.
Same official, when trail, stood planted at the corner of the halfcourt and sideline - no matter what.

The worst though was after a timeout - the other team played with 6 people. I (and several others) were literally screaming at the officials that they had 6 players on the court. 3 trips up and down the court - probably about a minute. Finally the other coach realizes what we're yelling about and tells a player to leave the court during play... she runs RIGHT BY the official (the better of the two - not the one who did all the stuff above) and sits down --- official thinks nothing of it and moves on. I KNOW that would have made me go, "Huh...that's odd".

Yes we got slaughtered, and by no means do I think that was the fault of the officials ... not even close. But considering the blowout status of the game, I find it hard to imagine I would pass on backcourt calls against the team in the lead (and I couldn't have missed them ... I was standing on the halfcourt line!). The only thing I saw different between the teams was that it seemed to me we were the beneficiary of a few questionable out-of-bounds-off-who decisions.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

8 fouls from one official - somewhat even - I can live with that.

Had a Varsity game on Tuesday night... I called the first foul, my partner called the next 6 fouls. It's not that we weren't on the same page in regards to illegal contact.. we were. It's just that all of the illegal contact happened to be in his primary for about an 8-minute span.

NO fouls from the other official - not even when a player was pushed with 2 hands in the back during a layup attempt, faceplanting right in front of the official.
Same official insisted during the entire first half that our team throw her the ball after the other team made a basket - and since they didn't switch during the first half, this means EVERY basket. Allowing the other team to set up their press, which our coach is too incompetent to teach the team how to get out of. Other official must have said something to her at halftime, as she didn't do this in the 2nd half.
Same official completely ignored backcourt violations twice. Blatant ones.
Same official, when trail, stood planted at the corner of the halfcourt and sideline - no matter what.

Is it possible that this official was brand-new to officiating, and therefore stuck in the "call nothing" phase? I was that way myself when I first started out. Yes, it sucks for your team, but we (officials) all had to start somewhere.

No excuse for a team playing with 6 players though.

[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.

[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 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.

[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.

[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.