Ratings

[SCalScoreKeeper]

No problem stmaryrams-I was just curious to see how different states operate

[chapmaja]

We have a couple things in Michigan.

First, the schools are supposed to rate all officials throughout the season and submit ratings to the MHSAA at seasons end. Most of the schools just rate a few officials during the season and it's enough to satisfy the MHSAA requirement. We are required to have a certain number of ratings over 3 years and a certain average rating if we are going to do post-season. We also have to watch an online rules meeting each year and submit our season schedule to the MHSAA if we want to be on the post-season eligible list.

Second, my main association does ratings for officials. This is based generally on the assignor or trainers seeing you at the preseason scrimmage and maybe working with you once or twice a season. This is also based on if you kiss the right person's rear end in my opinion. I say that because I have a rating of less than 2 for Varsity contests from the schools (1 being best - 5 worst), with over 20 ratings, but according to the association, I am barely qualified to work JV volleyball (yet they have no problem assigning me to varsity events when they need someone). This is really the does your trainer like you and do you work college volleyball rating. Since I don't work college, and have no significant desire to work college, my rating is much lower with the association.

Unfortunately the association handles 90% of the assigning for my area, so I have to either deal with their political BS or drive much farther to get matches.


I will say this, as an assigner for another sport, it is nearly impossible to rate all of the officials regularly. You need to rely on what the schools and or coaches say about officials. In my assigning I have been lucky enough to work with most of my officials personally before I began assigning or in my first year of assigning, so I know their strengths and weaknesses. I also do take a lot of feedback from the coaches I know have been around for awhile and have a reputation of being fair minded (and ignoring the ones who are hotheads and complain to complain).

I have a small enough group I assign for my sport that I have a pretty good feel for the level of all the officials I assign. I also will seek the opinion of the coaches for officials that are new to my group. If I get comments an officials is doing a great job, I remember that. If I get comments about concerns with officials, they do get addressed. Sometimes I will address the concerns personally with the official, sometime I will send an email to all my officials about a concern (but won't name the official the concern was brought about).

[SCalScoreKeeper]

It's interesting that schools get a say in your rating.Here schools have no say in your rating.When you start here you start as a C4 (our lowest available category).You would be a varsity R2 or line judge and R1 on sub varsity matches along with lines.Some C4s are varsity R`1s on occassion mostly small school matches.You decide whether or not to give it a shot to move up.I got my first varsity R1 this year.