Opener
 

Football ended Saturday. Basketball (year 27) starts tonight.

I've cut back this season. Worked 58 games last year (a mixture of BV and GV). This year I'm looking at about 40 BV games. Not that I don't love working hoops, but working football into basketball into baseball each year means it's probably a good idea to cut back a bit until I can figure out whether I want to leave a sport behind. I've been saying this for at least 10 years now and I still haven't cut a sport out, so I don't anticipate it coming anytime soon. Matter of fact, in the last 10 years I've added (and removed and re-added) college baseball and added college football.

7 games in November, 13 in December, 13 in January, and 7 in February. Seems pretty balanced to me. I'm guessing I'll work more makeups now that I have actual nights off during the season, too.

we're not getting any younger
 

Yep, me too. Last year I worked about the same amount of games as you mainly because the OHSAA allowed teams to increase their regular season schedules to 22 from 20. I was accepting additional contracts thinking- I can handle this only to find out later from my legs-no you can't! Have taken on a more moderate schedule this year.
Rich, this year could be another Whitewater-Mount Union classic in D3 football right?

You have your schedule through Feb already? I don't know what mine is for next week yet! Jealous...

Two fun facts for me this season (so far):

*I actually have my schedule through early February. I’ve never had my schedule further than three weeks in advance, let alone three months.

*I have no BV games scheduled. None. Only GV and NCAAW. With the different codes in NYC there are different assignors for BV and GV. The GV assignors got on the stick much sooner than the BV assignors. I started receiving GV assignments (thank you, Camron) in mid-October. There are STILL tons of BV games that haven’t been assigned and the season begins December 2. I’m heading out to a BV meeting tonight. It should be interesting to say the least.

I have most of 2014-15 already booked. They book 2 years in advance for conference games in many places here.

Could be. I've not seen Mount Union, obviously, but UWW is especially tough on the defensive side of the ball.

My Dec is pretty booked, and I've got games into Feb already, but still some open dates that will hopefully fill in.

After my last Association, it's such a great benefit to be able to schedule so far out!

I've received 2 HS assignments so far, Dec 5th & 6th, from my out-of-town association.

I don't think I've ever worked as much as 40 HS dates in a season. Probably no more than 35 in my busiest season.

New running clock rule here -- 40 points after the third quarter.

We flirted with it. We got to 34. Then the winning team brought in the bench and we ended up with a 30 point game.

Felt great getting back out on the floor.

Wow. I have 33 games between now and the Christmas break. How much ball could you work if you chose to?

Are you including things like youth or adult ball, where there are multiple games one after the other?

I could work stuff like that every weekend. I choose not to work any of it.

They play one varsity game a night here. I may work 2 on a Saturday from time to time (an afternoon and a night game), but that's it.

I work over 100 baseball games a year and probably worked 40 football dates, too

I'm better when I work quality over quantity these days.

I had just over 20 HS games each year the last two years. Not as many as I would like and I really don't like doing wreck ball. This year however I got 4 games (one every day) for the first week. Hopefully this is good sign and there will be many many more games this year.

most of our games are jv/v double headers. In the 33 games I mentioned, one is a college game, one is a wreck ball game, 13 of them are tournament games and the rest are league play.

I usually work 150ish games a year. That is middle of the pack for my association.

I usually work about 50 varsity contests a year during the regular season. Sometimes tournaments can take that number up to 60. That is enough for me. That is about 3 days a week and sometimes 4 if I get two games on a Saturday or one on an off day. I cannot imagine doing much more.

I also do not work girl's basketball so that makes my life so much easier with my schedule. I did early on in my career, but when I got the chance I gave that crap up.

Peace

I'm a 3rd year official so still climbing the ladder to a larger quantity of games.

Working 2 pre-season Boys Varsity games today, 2 pre-season (JV/V) games next Friday and then moving into a sub-varsity regular season schedule. Showing 10 games currently but the rest of the schedule has yet to be published.

I could work most every day of the week, including Sundays, IF I wanted to. But, I'm not as young as I used to be, and my 'real job' can be a bit taxing.

I find working four to five days a week is what I like. No more than 3-4 games on a Sat/Sun if I want to be fresh and give my best effort.

I did the same this year, although I wouldn't call it crap. Some of the assignors took it better than others, but my goal was always to cut back from 60 to 40 and this was how I chose to do it.

I'm not sure the girls coaches ever really liked how I called the game, anyway. I applied advantage / disadvantage in the same way as I would in a boys game and many of those coaches seemed used to having every last bit of contact called.

Of course, last night was one of those boys games...the losing team didn't hit 30 points and the winning team committed 7 fouls in the first 5:30 and 18 in the first half. A kid picked up his fourth foul in the first half! Thank goodness the winning team came out in a 2-3 zone in the second half (and only committed 2 fouls in the third quarter).

80 games from November 1st thru the 3rd week in February. All high school games.

We do two games a night. 1 boys, 1 girls.

I also already have 2014-2015 scheduled.

When I do not enjoy it is is crap. Just like if I watch a movie and I do not get a joyful experience from watching, it is crap.

And one of the reasons it was not enjoyable was the way I called the game. I just did not penalize defenders for a stupid play by the offensive player like many that work that gender often do. I have only done those games as a favor the past 6 or 7 years, usually replacing people trying to get off of a game for post season games near the end of the year. And I have to be talked into working those games. It is not fun and get tired of hearing every little contact has to be a foul from a coach when no disadvantage or displacement has taken place. Even the worst boy's game is more fun to me than almost any girl's game IMO. And I am thanking God I have a choice to avoid and work what I want. And in many cases you cannot work boy's games if you work a lot of girl's basketball. Very few are successful at working both or are allowed to work both.

Peace

Yeah were are lucky to have more than 2 weeks in advance. I am only out to Dec. 6.

Due to a new job this year, I had to give up football and basketball will only be slightly better. I'm able to get some time off in January, but being the new guy has its drawbacks. I'll be thrilled if I get to 10 games.

well I just finished my 1st season as a volleyball official-advanced to the sectional semifinals as a line judge.ready to put the scorekeeper's stripes back on.We host a varsity girls tournament next week (12/3-5/13) with our boys the following week (12/12-14/13).For the first three weeks of this season I will work between 28-30 games. :) :) :)
Welcome back to basketball everyone

Your entire high school season already scheduled? Don't know that I've ever heard of that before.

In areas where schools give out contracts directly to officials, this isn't uncommon.

Rich likely has most of his next two seasons scheduled as well.

It's the same here (absent cancellations / reschedules etc.). Had 95% of my scheduled dates early summer (and that's later than normal -- I held some back for a while).

I have only about 3 open dates for the 2014-15 season.

happens out here and we use the assignor system.basically you get sent a batch of games which you then accept or decline then as the season goes on additional games are sent to you based on ability.

I prefer having open dates. I used to fill up every date and then a makeup of a really great game would come along and I couldn't take it so I could go work a girls game in BFE. That won't happen this year -- the "down side" is that I will definitely have more days off in the end. It's not really a downside.

If I only worked basketball, I'd work every possible day. But I go year-round with little-to-no break between seasons. I'm finally feeling some need to pace myself.