Calling out a fellow official? Advice needed.
 

Hello all. I need some advice on how to proceed following a very difficult game last night. The facts are the following

1) JV Boys Game
2) VERY physical game
3) 2 man crew
4) My partner and I called 36 fouls in the game. I called 31 of them, including 20 of the 21 in the second half.
5) Very close game thoughout. Final 2 point margin of victory

This was a very physical game from the start, with alot of off the ball picks. Both teams fought hard to set screens and fight through them and rough play in the post. My partner missed (in my opinion) several hard fouls throughout the half. The game was tinkering on getting "out of control" just before half time.

As referee, at halftime, I mentioned that we needed to establish control right from the start of the second half. During the 2nd half, the play was just as rough, and I did everything I could to try to get the game back under control. In the second half, both coaches (at different times) called me aside and asked me if my partner was going to do anything to help me out in the game. Both times I was diplomatic, and never acknowledged that my partner wasn't doing his job (I think all of us would do the same thing) Several comments from an increasingly beligerent crowd echoed those comments.

I reiterated to my partner at the end of the 3rd quarter and a timeout early in the 4th quarter, that we needed to get control. Admittedly I never said "I need you to start calling some fouls" directly, hoping he would infer what I meant. The game was out of control until the final whistle.

After the game, my partner left without meeting in the locker room. The AD of the losing school found me after the game, and calmly thanked me for doing everything I could, and mentioned he would be calling the league commissioner and assignor to report the horrible performance by my partner.

I have worked with this official once before just a couple of weeks prior. The game went staggeringly similar. I really have no interest in working with this official again. I appreciate some advice on the following:

1) Do I contact my assignor and request we don't work together? (It's important to note he is a veteran with 30 years experience and I'm just in my 4th year of HS ball, but 16 years experience overall).
2) Or do I let sleeping dogs lie as I am not assigned to work with him anymore and expect that the AD will be filling a report anyway?

Thanks for your help in advance, I have found this forum really helpful this year.

get in, get done, get out




Thanks, mick

You said this was a JV game right? So it suggests your partner is there for a reason as well as you are. Just work the game and leave. You are not going to get everyone to do the things the same way you do them or have the same understanding you might.

I would even be careful what you say to others about this because they will have a story too. They might say you took everything in the game and that you did not allow them to work. And I get that sometimes you might have to call a lot of stuff in a 2 man system, but I would make sure that anything that is not in my immediate area or dual area, let them live and die with stuff. You cannot save everyone or every play.

Peace

Many new officials often go through several phases in the beginning. One of those is just being stunned an unsure what to do....so they do nothing. He may or may not develop beyond that phase. Don't write him off yet. Maybe, if you work with him again, you should approach him differently....more trying to pull him up.

EDIT: I apparently didn't read the whole post...that he was a 40 yr. guy. Forget what I suggested. :D

If asked, tell the truth about the guy.

Otherwise, let the schools do the talking at this point in your officiating career.

So I'm working a JV game last night, and my partner was calling all sorts of fouls on incidental contact. He even tried to subtly talk me into going off his cliff. It didn't help matters that since he was calling every touch under the sun, the coaches and fans were expecting me to as well.

How do I get a fourth year guy like this to better understand incidental contact? I've worked with him before, and he did the same thing. Calling all over the court, calling fouls on plays right in front of me that were clearly incidental, if contact was even made at all.

Okay, we've heard opininions. Let's look at the fact.


If a guy calls 20 of 21 fouls in a half, it is certainly possible he called too many. But, from here, it sounds more likely that the other guy was making a point of holding his original position.

Don't mind, That Guy

I would call the assignor and explain what happened. I would end it with, "I would rather not work with him again."

That might all be true, but the point I think is that the other guy might have another point. Then you get into a he said, he said situation. And I am sure it is a little exaggerated that he called 20 of 21 fouls. Maybe he called the lion's share or 90% of the fouls, but that number might have a better explaination than saying a specific number unless he could remember every foul. I know I cannot remember every foul that is called to that extent. The point is the partner might have a story to tell as well and it might not be favorable in his direction. That is why you have to be careful when going out on your partner. And if you are not a veteran or well known, it would not likely be to your advantage. They might ask you or me what we think of a partner, but not this guy necessarily.

Peace

I can promise I am not exaggerating on the 20 of 21 foul calls. Have video. Nevertheless, I appreciate the advice that has been coming in....

It does not matter if you are. The point is you will open up a can of worms you might not like the result even if you are doing the "right thing."

Peace

If your association uses arbiter and allows blocks, go in and block him. In Utah we can block up to three individuals and no one says a thing becuase it is in the software

Thanks Kelvin, we do use arbiter. Wasn't aware of the software's capabilities. Could be the best approach. Thanks

Can't the assignor or person with assignor privilege override the block? That has been my experience with that software. I am sure you could block anyone or anything you like, but someone would be aware and still want to know why.

Peace

Best option, if available.

Otherwise, I'd heed Jeff's advice and tread lightly.

Perhaps calling your assignor and asking if he's hearing that you call too many phantom fouls might be a good place to start. Diplomacy will carry you farther sometimes.

Not always. If you don't make a habit of it, they probably won't even notice. Not every assignor enables this feature, though.

True.

Peace

Post your video somewhere and let us judge for ourselves. No sense getting behind the wheel of the bus just yet. "don't drive angry"

There must be a reason he is calling JV games after a 30 year career?

Colorado requires a minimum number of JV games to be eligible for the post season. There is literally no conclusion that you can gather from that information.

You could if he is not from Colorado. ;)

Peace

20 out of 21 seems excessive, on both sides. It honestly makes me wonder whether there were a few in his area where you were just quicker on the whistle, and at some point he figured you just wanted to do it yourself so he let you.

Hard to say without video.

Not really. Unless Jakey knows where the OP is from.

In my state or area it could mean a couple of things. It could mean a guy is getting a pay check and has nothing to prove. Or it could mean he cannot get anything else and this is what he normally does during the season. I am sure that is similar is other areas but we will never know until that is clarified. And that would only be clarified if someone had worked there or works there now.

Peace

That's interesting. What's the philosophy behind that? I'm genuinely curious.

To keep officials humble and reward guys willing to "take some for the team" perhaps?

Perhaps for newer, JV-only, officials to get the chance to work with some of the top officials a few times??? That would certainly be good for mentoring and training of newer officials.

We do that around here a few times a year. Our assignor likes us to get out and work with some of the newer officials, for the exact reasons you stated Camron.

A couple other reasons...

* heavy nights require more officials

* Sometimes the Varsity crew travels to a school and does the FROSH. or SOPH. game, usually in another gym, then the Varsity game. This saves the school mileage payment...our association pays the 3-Whistle crew doing both games ONE mileage payment. (The other crew doing the JV game and other lower level game get ONE mileage payment also.)

BTW...the one official that drives gets the $ for mileage and he is expected to buy snacks and beverages for the other two officials on the way home.

The varsity guys doing the FROSH./SOPH. games makes for some interesting dynamics. ;)

Usually, the less experienced crew is doing the JV game.

Around here, most of my games are doubleheaders. Depending on size of the school, you might get something like this:

9A/9B
9th/B-squad (10th grade)
B-squad/JV
JV/V

Most of the time, at the biggest schools, a game night will have B/JV/V games back-to-back-to-back. One crew will generally get the B/JV doubleheader at 4:30 and 6:00, and a different crew will get the 7:30 varsity game. The smaller schools will usually only have a JV/V doubleheader, and the same crew will handle both games.

I've even got one night in a couple of weeks where we have 4 officials covering 4 games like this:
Me and Partner #1 doing the JV game at 5:30
Partner #2 and New Guy doing the 5:30 freshman game.
Me, Parther #1, and Partner #2 doing the Varsity game at 7:00.

Back on topic though... I could've written the same post as you did about a game I had last season... it happens.

My advice: call/email your assigner. My assigner is very adamant that we call him first if there's a situation that he's going to be get called about from an AD... he wants to know our side of the story before he talks to the school. Phrase the conversation in a "hey, I'm wondering if you've gotten any feedback on my performance" style rather than a "That Guy's terrible" style.

This was a very physical game from the start, with alot of off the ball picks. Both teams fought hard to set screens and fight through them and rough

I'm not a big proponent of a 4th year guy picking and choosing his partners. Your assignor may have known that this guy doesn't call a lot a fouls and might have felt that you would help the crew.

I like it that you recognized potential problems and were trying to do all you could to keep the game under control. I would encourage you to continue calling any rough play no matter where it occurs on the court.

I have one guy blocked. Have not worked with him since.

Sometimes, there is a lot of ball watching which results in calling out of the primary. By watching some of the off ball shenanigans and calling it, you can prevent some of the other stuff from occurring. I am sure the truth is somewhere in between, but if a guy is swallowing his whistle, sometimes it is good to let him take some heat from time to time. The cardinal rule of "Be late. Be needed. Be right." certainly applies. So, does the GIGDGO principle as was mentioned earlier.

Here our game nights go as follows-
3-JV Girls
430-JV Boys
600-Varsity Girls
730-Varsity Boys
Everything here is done in two whistle with one crew handling JV and another crew coming in and handling Varsity.
Last Thursday we had an oddity in assignment of officials-Varsity only doubleheader (JV games moved to Monday at visiting schools request),three officials assigned-one working both games and the other two working 1 game each,a lady came in and worked the girls game then left and a guy came in for the guys game.

You promote what you permit.....if you do not say anything to your assignor, the problem continues without improvement. He clearly cannot officiate at that level (or at least has no desire to work the game correctly). Talk to your assignor...move on....be ready to blow the whistle if you're assigned with him again.

Huh? So if his partner called 20 of 21 then should he have gone to his assignor too?

So every time someone does not do something we do not like, we have to report them? Even if we are not in a position long to have our opinion respected?

Just keep in mind that when you tell an assignor/supervisor/boss about a partner, someone might do the same about you for some other silly reason.

I was just raised in the game to believe unless something was done very unprofessional or unethical you do not go running to people to tell on them. And this was not a professional issue, this was a judgment issue where maybe the partners were not on the same page. We also did not hear anything that suggest there could have been double whistles, communication as to who took a foul or other things that realistically happen. I would find it hard to believe that his partner did not have any whistles on these plays. And if he didn't, then there is a big problem IMO with calling fouls that someone else probably saw in their area. ;)

Peace

A question that has not yet been asked...

What was your partner's reaction to your "we need to get control" request?
That may give some more insight on how to advise you to react.

Definitely contact your assignor as well and tell him very professionally that you would rather not work with him again. I'm sure if he is a halfway decent guy, he won't ask any questions or give you any problems with it. I would absolutely do that, because you don't want any coaches bad mouthing you because of the poor job your partner did.