Career No-nos.

[ballgame99]

I've got an addition; Visable tattoos.

I've got one that comes halfway down my bicep on one arm and wear an undershirt to cover it when I'm working. I would love to sleeve my tattoo out, but I'm pretty sure it would limit my options for reffing.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

9. Wearing jewelry.

In general, sure. I wear a wedding band as do most guys I work with who are married.

[jTheUmp]

I assume wedding bands are fine... I've never noticed if someone was wearing a wedding band (or not) when I've worked with them.

Wasn't a concern for me last year. Now that I'm married, I suppose I should pay attention to that kind of thing. (I know they don't care around here in football).

I've been told that facial hair is also a no-no. I used to have a full beard (neatly trimmed, about 1/2 an inch long), and had a few people make comments like "I'm not saying you need to shave it off... but..." Now the beard is strictly and off-season thing.

[scrounge]

One that must have happened, because our state assoc had to send out a couple emails saying it was strictly prohibited:

Engaging in social media with a student-athlete that was not a direct family member.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by scrounge

One that must have happened, because our state assoc had to send out a couple emails saying it was strictly prohibited:

Engaging in social media with a student-athlete that was not a direct family member.

Interesting... I do exactly that, although I do have a reason for it. She's also my daughter's pitching coach, and my daughter is not old enough for social media.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Adam

Jeff, I'm with you on this issue, but what is expected, and therefore what is considered "professional", is going to vary by area. Where jar works, it's not unprofessional. The only people who notice are officials, and school staff. If the school staff sees it all the time, they won't know any different.

You're normally one of the biggest advocates for "do what's expected in your area," this is no exception.

And I do not buy the "Everyone does it" crap either. I would bet higher than 2 percent gets dressed in some fashion at the schools. Usually when people give that high a number they are trying to make it seem higher then what is really the case. I think that is often said like kids say that to justify bad behavior or to make it sound like people should not judge them negatively. Also it is not about just the administrators or coaches, it is about observers of the game or an events that have no direct influence on games.

And yes I recognize what people might do in their area when it comes to minor issues with mechanics or application of a rule or interpretations. This is not one of them.

Peace

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

And I do not buy the "Everyone does it" crap either. I would bet higher than 2 percent gets dressed in some fashion at the schools.

You would lose your bet.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

And I do not buy the "Everyone does it" crap either. I would bet higher than 2 percent gets dressed in some fashion at the schools. Usually when people give that high a number they are trying to make it seem higher then what is really the case. I think that is often said like kids say that to justify bad behavior or to make it sound like people should not judge them negatively. Also it is not about just the administrators or coaches, it is about observers of the game or an events that have no direct influence on games.

And yes I recognize what people might do in their area when it comes to minor issues with mechanics or application of a rule or interpretations. This is not one of them.

Peace

WTF??

Coming from the guy who - for years and years - has used the "In my area, we do..." argument to justify his interpretations of things??

That is just downright hilarious.

[APG]

While I don't agree with JRut's assessment of the customs in JAR's area, I do agree with his sentiment towards going to a game dressed (this is assuming it's not off-season ball).

Come to game in uniform....or not?

From reading that thread, it would appear that JAR's area is not in line with what the majority in the country are doing. But as we've found out, things just tend to be done differently in JAR's area.

[Welpe]

Well let's see we've knocked out the belt thread already, now we've done the going to the game dressed thread...any other deceased equine we'd like to drag out before the season starts?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Interesting... I do exactly that, although I do have a reason for it. She's also my daughter's pitching coach, and my daughter is not old enough for social media.

Yeah, that's interesting. Lots of officials are involved in their communities outside of officiating, and that often includes working with youth. Church youth leaders, for example, often have FB connections with the students.

[Moosie74]

Originally Posted by just another ref

98% of the officials here come to the game dressed and ready to work. That's at all levels, jr. high through varsity. You honestly think anybody here is observing this and thinking: "Boy, this is unprofessional!" ?

A couple of years ago our association got multiple complaints of officials for middle school games wearing jeans, tracksuits, etc to the game site and the athletic directors and coaches did not like it.

Business casual should be the minimum for Jr High games, tie and jacket for varsity.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

WTF??

Coming from the guy who - for years and years - has used the "In my area, we do..." argument to justify his interpretations of things??

That is just downright hilarious.

Almost all the time when I have talked about "In my area..." I was talking about assignments, association structure and what is required to be licensed. This is not in that category AT ALL!!!! So if I want to work the Mid-Suburban or North Suburban Conferences, there are no LOAs that is associated with those conferences. And if the assignors tried to make that requirement, they probably would have a harder time to get officials to work for them or the schools would see an entirely different group working their post season contests from what they saw in the regular season. It does not go over well here to never see playoff officials in regular season tournaments or conference games.

What you do professionally seems to be the same across the country for the most part. Are there things like the type of shirt you wear or the specific pants you wear might vary? Of course there are. There are over 5000 officials in the State of Illinois in basketball alone, I think there are going to be some differences in attitudes of all those individuals. Just under 200 assignments of that number will work the post season in a particular class and some officials work across classes in a given year. But there are common threads across those individuals that are assigned games and this would be one of them.

Yes, I think it looks unprofessional to go to a game dressed. The author of the list I posted basically said that, "It looks like you are going to a game from another game or about to leave to work another game." And other than JAR, I have never heard that was acceptable. Even in our area we have officials that do this, but when opportunities come open, many of those guys find themselves left out and some wonder why that is the case.

We are not talking about a mechanic where we blow the whistle or not blow the whistle on a throw-in. We are not talking about when you go to the scorer's table before the game and what you say in the captain's meeting. We are not talking about who calls a foul to the basket and how we communicate the ball going in the basket on the foul. Those are things you do based off of your "area." To me this is not one of them. Even if I did not have a specific place to dress, I am dressing somewhere before and after the damn game, PERIOD!!! And if a administrator from a school thinks that makes me a PITA, then I will be a PITA because I am not going to a game dressed. I might not be coming from a place where I can get dressed before the game. And I would not give a damn what others thought at the school, I am not coming dressed and getting my uniform soiled before the game by weather or something in the elements and then going to work that game with a mud stain or drink stain on my pants or shirt. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN with me, ANYWHERE!!!! Just like I am not going to a date or a job interview in jeans and a T-shirt, I am not working a game doing the same. I do not give a darn what everyone else does. And if I am with a woman that thinks that is acceptable, then I would not want to be with her in the first place.

Peace

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

"It looks like you are going to a game from another game or about to leave to work another game."

Not lately and not often, but I've done that too.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by just another ref

Not lately and not often, but I've done that too.

We have all done it on some level. It does not mean I have to advertise it to everyone either.

Peace