Pac-12 Officiating

[Nevadaref]

Are there more top officials in the East? Yes, there are five power conferences covering that part of the country and extending into the Midwest. There is only ONE power conference in the West and three decent conferences which are considered second-tier or mid-major. So obviously there aren't going to be as many officials.

Are there better officials in the East? No, the top guys in the PAC12, WAC, WCC, and Mtn West can call just as well as the top guys in the East.

The situation is just that due to the population distribution of the country and the population density, there are fewer schools in the West and they are farther apart. So the needs are different. There is less need for officials in the West and those needed must be able to do more traveling. Not everyone can do that. Also, since there are fewer slots, there is a question as to whether there is more competition for them or if once a conference supervisor gets some guys then no one else has a chance to move up or get in. So do guys not get pushed to continue to improve? Perhaps.

If the conferences in the West were to hire the same number of officials as the assignors in the East, then the guys would work far fewer games. The coaches may or may not like that, but it likely would hurt the development, progress, experience, and sharpness of the western officials.

Btw someone asked about the level of play in the West at the HS level.
Does anyone really think that the players coming out of SoCal, Vegas, Seattle, the Bay Area aren't competing with those from the rest of the country? Just look at the D1 scholarship recruits. There are plenty of kids coming from these places. Heck the clear #1 HS team in the country this past season was from Utah and on the prep academy scene Findlay from Vegas has been ranked #1 for much of the past three years.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Also, since there are fewer slots, there is a question as to whether there is more competition for them or if once a conference supervisor gets some guys then no one else has a chance to move up or get in. So do guys not get pushed to continue to improve? Perhaps.

I think that is largely neutral. For the same reasons that there are fewer slots to be filled (fewer schools due to smaller overall population) there will also be fewer officials. The ratio of slots to officials shouldn't be that different.

In the east, it is just easier for a big name to work games in 10 different conferences throughout the year why would they bother to fly an extra 3-4 hours (maybe each way) for a comparable game....unless the compensation allowed them to take the next day off and make similar money.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Are there better officials in the East? No, the top guys in the PAC12, WAC, WCC, and Mtn West can call just as well as the top guys in the East.

I disagree. I'm not sure if you are basing your statement on opinion only, but I am saying this based on opinion, film breakdown and other factors; in the end I'm talking about call accuracy. I have been in the room when a retired NBA official (he wasn't retired at the time) broke down a game officiated by one of the "Big Dogs" from the west coast on it. Basic stuff - you have to be in the correct position to have the best chance to make the correct call. If someone is consistently hustling out of position the calls become guesses and in this case several wrong guesses. Now, that says nothing about communication skills which as I'm sure we all know can allow an official to get away with wrong calls.

I know the processes on both coasts intimately and I've been in the room with the "Big Dogs" from both coasts to hear what they have to say. I have been evaluated by officials from both coasts - and raked over the coals by evaluators from both coasts.

For the most part, what we see on TV is the same or similar: official makes a call and it is accepted the majority of the time. That doesn't really speak to call accuracy or who is better does it?