Referee's

[chattaauhoops]

"Thankless job" is accurate. Having played at the collegiate level, coached levels from High School all the way up to the NBA and made my living with this game we all love, I will say this: Most (80%+) do a very good job even at the HS level. 10% are just bad but not overly bias. And finally yes, 10% are bad and have a pride issue, bias for or against teams, coaches, etc. and have no business working a game at any level. I would say that most of the time games are not impacted by officials. I agree that Sometimes they are impacted, but this ratio will most likely continue as long as human beings are involved. I can't comment on the "accountability" of HS officials as I don't know the process for the state org.

[Bobcats83]

Maybe if TSSAA had to pay the officials instead of the schools they would hold them accountable?

good idea.  If they are employed by the TSSAA then maybe they will monitor it closer

[midtnmale]

good idea. If they are employed by the TSSAA then maybe they will monitor it closer

My cynical side tells me that the same people who generally complain about referees are also of the mindset that the TSSAA is just about making money.

[Thomas508]

 My biggest problem is consistency and attitude, I see some who seem to have a bias but not many. I'll give one example of attitude: We were at a Christmas tournament, out of town and down by 4 late in a game, the other team is at the line shooting free throws and my son told his teammate "I've got shooter" The boy shoots and misses the ref jumped up and called a lane violation on my son for talking to the shooter. My son tells him "I was telling my teammate that I've got shooter and he hadn't even shot yet" With everyone still at the line the ref points his finger at my son and says "Boy don't complain to me because you are losing or we'll make sure you lose" In my opinion, a guy like that has no business reffing high school ball. Now I admit I'm biased to my son and his team but I really don't understand how you get in a 17 year old's face like that in front of players on both teams and say something like that.

 As some mentioned above about big guys getting foul calls more, I see that with our big guy too, but I also see that on other teams. Just because a guy is big doesn't mean he is fouling more, if its not a foul on a normal size guy, it shouldn't be a foul on the bug guy either.

[RealisticFan45]

 My biggest problem is consistency and attitude, I see some who seem to have a bias but not many. I'll give one example of attitude: We were at a Christmas tournament, out of town and down by 4 late in a game, the other team is at the line shooting free throws and my son told his teammate "I've got shooter" The boy shoots and misses the ref jumped up and called a lane violation on my son for talking to the shooter. My son tells him "I was telling my teammate that I've got shooter and he hadn't even shot yet" With everyone still at the line the ref points his finger at my son and says "Boy don't complain to me because you are losing or we'll make sure you lose" In my opinion, a guy like that has no business reffing high school ball. Now I admit I'm biased to my son and his team but I really don't understand how you get in a 17 year old's face like that in front of players on both teams and say something like that.

 As some mentioned above about big guys getting foul calls more, I see that with our big guy too, but I also see that on other teams. Just because a guy is big doesn't mean he is fouling more, if its not a foul on a normal size guy, it shouldn't be a foul on the bug guy either.

Consistency is my issue as well

[TheTruthHurts22]

The officials in the upper Cumberland area are gradually getting worse year after year. Half of them can't tell the difference between a block and a charge and the others are biased against a program or coach in some form. I know this isn't the girls forum, but to me it seems the refs really don't care or pay as much attention as they do in the boys game. Then during the boys games some of the "referees" want to make it more about themselves than the kids & the game. There are some good refs around but when the assigner puts them with a couple newer guys it forces the more experienced ref to pick up the slack and maybe makes some questionable calls he normally wouldn't.

[UCSportsFan]

The officials in the upper Cumberland area are gradually getting worse year after year. Half of them can't tell the difference between a block and a charge and the others are biased against a program or coach in some form. I know this isn't the girls forum, but to me it seems the refs really don't care or pay as much attention as they do in the boys game. Then during the boys games some of the "referees" want to make it more about themselves than the kids & the game. There are some good refs around but when the assigner puts them with a couple newer guys it forces the more experienced ref to pick up the slack and maybe makes some questionable calls he normally wouldn't.

I've seen this first hand and completely agree.  We have some young officials in the area that are learning and some of the other one's that are more experienced are caught up in trying to make all the calls.  I'm as guilty as anyone at yelling during a game but i leave it there.  I don't take it on a website and bash them because what good does that do? We can talk all we want about how to make it better but the bottom line is if you or me for that matter, really wants to make a difference i promise you they are hiring!  I've thought about it very seriously and I always said once my boys were out of school i would lace them up and put on the stripes but there are times that it would hinder me playing golf and nothing stands in the way of that!! haha

Edited February 13, 2017 by UCSportsFan

[FCRebel22]

They are getting worse every year. I agree one bad ref can make the others look bad. But we played a game a few years ago where all three were calling the game extremely tight. Other team was pressing early in the 1st qtr and had to get out due to foul trouble. Stayed tight like that until about 2 mins into the 4th and they were down by 11 and started to press. It was a mauling. Both teams were already in the double bonus and within two mins we're down three. After the game I got the chance to talk to one about letting the free for all. The response I got was,"we don't want to influence the outcome of a game". By just officiating tight or loose they influence the game, they are a part of it.

[WilsonJr1990]

I've seen some pretty bad ones this year. In one game, one member of the crew actually apologized to one of the coaches after the game for how obviously biased another member of his crew was against that team. Another issue, which does not relate directly to the refs but just the system, in that same game the coach from the opposing team scratched two of the refs the day of the game. Seemed really strange to me.

[crazzyness]

and to whoever said that if it were left up to the coaches and players it would be a scrimmage? It would be called better!

That is laughable. Alot of coaches (especially at the MS and JV levels) don't have a clue about the rules, just like a majority of fans. And most of the players just known what the coaches tell them.

[hsbbfn]

Yeah, well I guess you are in a part of the state that has decent officials. At this point we would be happy with decent because the chance of getting a good crew are not very good. I was being sarcastic about coaches calling games but it is bad. Teams are not getting what they pay for and the ones that suffer are the players and aren't they who it's supposed to be about? They're paid to do a job, the players are there to learn, get better and have fun representing their school !

[UCSportsFan]

Yeah, well I guess you are in a part of the state that has decent officials. At this point we would be happy with decent because the chance of getting a good crew are not very good. I was being sarcastic about coaches calling games but it is bad. Teams are not getting what they pay for and the ones that suffer are the players and aren't they who it's supposed to be about? They're paid to do a job, the players are there to learn, get better and have fun representing their school !

Why don't you become one then and help change it?