Louisiana
 

JAR?

Fambrough: LHSAA, officials group have issues to be addressed | Preps | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Yes?

Is this your part of the country?

Yep

Tough spot for the officials in that state. The new ED came from NV.
His track record with officials wasn't stellar. The most egregious thing that he did in NV was take a 16% raise for himself when the officials were in the middle of a five year pay freeze at the request of the schools and same board of control which approves the ED contract.
Btw the officials were seeking a 4% increase, which they did eventually obtain two years later.

Do you have an opinion or insider information on the situation you could share?

I have neither. All this was news to me until a couple of weeks ago we received an email from the association president asking us to refrain from comment if questioned by the media about it?


What are the odds of that happening to me?

"Member principals also passed a proposal that eliminated partial payment baseball and softball officials were receiving for rainout games."

If they eliminated pay for umpires that drive to a site when they don't start a game, that's horrible. Where I live, we get full fee if we show up -- we don't even need to see a pitch.

My concern here would be umpires playing games through mini-monsoons because they know they won't get a full fee for a rainout.

Sounds like they'll get NOTHING even if the game starts if it's not official. I'd quit HS baseball if I was forced to work it for free.

Further, I lived in LA and the game fees at the time were about as pathetic as one could imagine.

That's the way it should be. I'm still pissed about the $110 I never got last season for a soccer doubleheader cuz I showed up and then the game was cancelled. Protip: demand your check as soon as you arrive.

Your "protip" still would have left you empty-handed.

No, in this instance I would have been able to collect my check on my way to the field. I stayed near my car until the game was cancelled and thus never got the money.

I don't think when you collect your check is the answer to the problem.

It's having a written policy in place.

I had a place not pay me about 8 years ago when a baseball game was canceled after I arrived. When I get my check for that game, I'll work another game at that school.


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Soooooo never?

Was it not 6 or 7 years ago that Louisiana officials were having issues with pay? What became of that? Are the issues at play here somehow involved with the issues (and apparent resolution) that came about from the past?

I also can't imagine not paying officials for the scenarios brought up has been a popular decision...and would make it even harder to recruit officials for outdoor sports...especially for spring sports...take time out of your day...show up the sight...possibly wait...all to not get paid. Sounds like a great plan.

The piece not mentioned is that it's an incentive to make a decision on play or no play when there are game checks that need to be given out if the decision takes too long. Last season a home coach couldn't decide and waited till I arrived to ask me. They could've used a canoe on the field and my "decision" cost the school $120 (2 single game fees).

The conference I assign has this in the by-laws:

Officials – Show-up Fee - Officials will be paid the full game fee if they arrive at the site and the game is not played or completed.

Last summer when I coached, I frequently canceled hours before other teams in the area. Saved transportation of the teams, families, and umpire costs. Once I was second guessed early in the day....until another local team drove 30 miles and played a half-inning before the skies opened up -- then I looked like I knew what I was doing.

The NV contract specifies that once the game officials begin their travel to the site, they will receive any applicable mileage and one game fee in case of cancelation of the contest(s).
If the school is hosting a double-header, it does not owe for the second game. This policy seems fair to me.

We don't pay travel and we would only pay one game fee in the event of a DH being canceled.

I have some elastic powers in this -- if the official is called after driving 55 of 60 minutes to a game site, I'm going to make sure he/she gets paid.