This is why I would rather stay home.

[JRutledge]

I worked tonight an IESA 8th Grade Regional. I got the game by answering an email first apparantly. I was supposed to work the semifinals on Saturday, but my college assignor calls to ask me to help him out to cover for someone else the day before on this past Saturday.

So against my usual good judgment I take all three games over a week ago by email. Well of course I do not work Saturday but I work the championship tonight instead for the previous conflict.

Well clearly both teams were actually rather athletic and my partner and I call a lot of stuff like handchecking and other contact stuff that affected play. The team in black was just better and they could dribble through people and make easy lay-ups. The team in white ran no offense, did more "And-one mixed tape" type dribbling and threw up 3 point shots and could not figure out why the other team was beating them down the floor after those bad shots and one on one plays. And even when they did drive to the basket, they usually threw up some fade away mess that was off balance and where was often no contact.

So of course if was our fault. I even had to call a T early in the first half where a kid off the bench stood up and decided to yell at us about a call adamently. Then when I tell the coach he has to sit, he tried to accuse me of only calling the T on the white team bench player because he (the white team HC) would have to sit. For the record there was no regulation coaching box, but we allowed them to stand as it would have been a hassle to put one down as this rule likely did not come into play most of the year for these schools. And the IESA as far as I know has few directives on what they want to be done without the box being legally put in place. I got a chuckle out of that comment from the coach anyway.

Later in the second half foul advantage was in the favor of the losing team white jersey team. We even had a situation where after the white team scored, they had a player throw the ball out of the way about 10 feet to near the wall and I called a delay of game, which is clearly delayed the game. Now this game was 6 minute quarters and the black jersey team won by about 23 points. Right when the game was ending, the coward coach said under his breath, "We will not be going to the Sectional, but neither will these officials." It was funny because working an IESA Sectional is often around here for guys that happen to be open and do not have HS games to even work. Yes it can be an honor, but most high school or a lot of IHSA official never want to work those games for all kinds of scheduling or goal reasons. Heck the HS playoffs are starting very soon and many would be working those or regular season games to cover those working some playoffs.

Then the funny part. A mother came up to me right before halftime and wanted my IHSA number. Well this was not an IHSA game and you never have to give that information to anyone but the teams. And even those requests have limits. Well she thought that because we were not calling fouls to her liking, her son was going to have and asthma attack. That was rather funny too. Well I did tell GM and she was excused from the game where the AD said to me and my partner, "It is just a Junior High game....."

I am so glad I am at the point of my career I have options on what to work. The best part of the night is that we got paid on the spot.

Peace

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The best part of the night is that we got paid on the spot.

I hope it was cash.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

I hope it was cash.

That would have been better, but the host school was not one of the teams.

Peace

[deecee]

You can't pay me enough to work any non-sanctioned game, middle school, adult league, etc. I will only work AAU in the off-season but I limit my games to about 20-30 at most.

It's not worth the headaches, the idiots and my time. At one point I used to work as many games that I could in a year, but now I have no interest. The pay isn't worth it, and there is no real repercussion to stupid behavior past the current game.

I can honestly say that I would rather pay $20/hr to NOT officiate adult leagues these days.

[just another ref]

What part of the OP couldn't have happened at a high school game?

[deecee]

Originally Posted by just another ref

What part of the OP couldn't have happened at a high school game?

In a varsity game, most of it. The T most likely yes, but the coaching box situation, etc?

I can see somethings happening in a lower level game but in HS games MUCH less frequent.