Umpires being the last to know!
 

This week was Spring Break for all of the local schools meaning school offices were closed.

Mark, Jr., had VAR softball game scheduled for 05:00pm tonight. We (I was his chauffeur and valet tonight) and his partner both arrived at the game site at 04:00pm to find an empty parking lot and an empty softball diamond.

Please keep in mind that this was an Arbiter assignment and an OhioHSAA sanctioned game. Mark had sent a reminder email to the Home School AD last Thursday and received a confirmation email from his less than one hour after Mark sent his email to him.

Mark's partner called the AD's office at approximately 04:10pm. No answer. Received a recording that said the extension that he had dialed was not a valid extension.

Mark's partner then called the HC at approximately 04:15pm. The HC told him that the game had been canceled and he thought that the AD had notified the umpires.

The AD's for this particular assigner know that if a game is canceled after 03:00pm on the day of the game it is the responsibility of the AD to notify the umpires. Well we know that didn't happen. Instead the AD sent a text to the assinger at 04:25pm informing him that the game had been rained out. Keep in mind that it rained for about 30 minutes this morning at 09:00am.

It looks like Mark and his partner are going to get a full game fee for tonight. The good thing is that the game site was less than four miles from home.

MTD, Sr.

I'm so glad we have the system we do - all assigning (and paying) done by a local school co-cop called BOCES. Each sport has its assignor - one person does baseball/softball, for example. It's all done very professionally, and that office runs all interscholastic sports in the area. There are also contracts that are 'negotiated.' So just about every situation is codified, so a case like yours there would be no doubt you get your game fees.

It happened to me once, me and my partner both showed up for a game, and the home team was the only one there, and they were practicing. OOPS - someone forgot to call BOCES - and yes we got paid. We also get a 'travel fee', for when we show, and we don't start because of weather.

Mark was notified by email around 08:00pm that he and his partner would receive halve game fees
We forgot that in this situation the officials get a half of a game fee.

MTD, Sr.

Update!
 

Update on the game fee as well as additional information.

1) The game was scheduled for Thu., Apr. 20th, at 05:00pm.

2) Mark sent a reminder email to the Home AD on Thu., Apr. 13th and received an confirmation email from the Home AD one hour later.

3) Mark and his partner both received ArbiterSports generated reminder emails on Tue., Apr. 18th.

4) Mark sent an email to the Home AD when he returned home and received an email from him that was also cc'ed to the assigner telling him that he and his partner would receive a half game fee, :eek:!


There are two relevant sections in the OhioHSAA Officials Game Contract and they are:

2. Breach/Non-performance: If either party (contest official or host school) fails to perform his/her/its obligations of this contract as set forth herein, said party will be in breach of this contract and shall pay to the non-breaching party a sum equal to the contest fee stated for each game.

3. Suspended Play: The parties hereto acknowledge that the contests may be subject to delays, interruptions, suspended play that would prevent the contest from either commencing on the scheduled date and/or completion on the scheduled date. In the event the subject contest does not commence on the scheduled date due to inclement weather or other unforeseen emergencies, the school will be obligated to pay the official a minimum of one-half of the official’s game fee provided the official was at the contest site at the scheduled time/date and prepared to commence performance as obligated hereunder. If the contest is suspended at a point in the contest that by either playing rules or regulations of the state high school governing body the contest could be considered completed, the school shall pay the official.

The OhioHSAA is of the opinion that the red sentence is the governing clause in Section 3. That would be fine if at least the Home School had been there and the game really was canceled for either inclement weather or an unforeseen emergency. But since both teams were not present, the game officials were notified before the start of the game that the game had been canceled, the game officials are only entitled to a half game fee, :eek:! The OhioHSAA's interpretation of their own contract is such that neither party can ever be in breach of the contract.

Absolutely amazing.

MTD, Sr.