Over-active LJ?

[MarkusJ]

Hello all,

New member, first post!

I was R2 at a small-school varsity match, where the LJs are parents recruited/volunteered/threatened at gunpoint to work the match, so the quality of calls isn't always what one would desire.

However, while the LJ on my side was certainly energetic, with big signal calls and good positioning, on two occasions she ran up to me after a rally and said, "Hey, I called that ball out! It was clearly out, why did the up ref call it in?" I told her that "It's the R1's choice to overrule, she may have had a better angle than you."

The problem was that the LJ was very loud, so the second time the LJ complained to me the coach who lost the point came tagging along with the LJ and started getting in my face a little bit too. I've now got the LJ and the coach complaining about the R1. I took a quick look to the R1 and got the "Your problem, deal with it!" look. Well, thanks.

I told the coach the play is over, point goes there, let's get going. After the coach left I told the LJ to make the calls, make eye contact with R1, to stay in her spot, and not complain about the R1 or R2.

After the match I gave the R1 a bit of grief about the LJ skills, and was told "We are responsible for them, if they make bad calls or use improper procedures it's our fault." I was a bit ticked off and said, "We didn't pick them, we can't fully train a new LJ in 3 minutes, and any serious faults in their work is on the host school." The R1 just said, "True or not, it doesn't matter, it's on us." I don't agree with that view.

I guess I could have asked for a replacement LJ but that carries a lot of baggage too. The coach wasn't doing anything card-worthy, though another 10 seconds of complaining would have gotten her a verbal warning.

So what's the general view about "volunteer" LJs ? Any advice in handling them?

Thanks,

MJ