Referee/Fan-in-stand relations?

[scboaref]

Swing, hit or miss, is ruled a fight. You are ejected and must sit for two games (or what is normally played in a week).

[blankguy]

5-sport dad, we are paid VERY well actually. 80 for two high school games. So three hours of actual work. So lets break it down for you.... game is at 6:00pm start. We are there at 5:00 for pregame and getting ready to be on the floor at 5:45. So if we have to be there at 5, what time do we have to leave work? Does leaving our real job make us lose money since we left early? Then you get done around 8:45/9:00 depending on the type of game 5sport wants it to be called. So let's just say for better arguement that its 4:30-9. I would say thats about 17 dollars an hour. Extremely good actually for part time. Then lets add in, the 5 meetings that we have to attend, which are on Sunday (missing football games) So I have to take 3 hours out of my Sunday to go to a meeting for free to figure out how to make sure we go from "should never work again to well good thing it wasn't a big game". Then pay each year my local and state dues, which come to about 200. Then to go to camp which is 175. Then the uniforms that we have to wear. Then you have to clean those clothes...... So really in all it evens out there and we don't really make that much money so you can get your monies worth when you come to a game..

So I'm sure at your job you make a whole lot more than 17 an hour. And lets say that you might get yelled at everyday and told that you are the worst employee they have ever seen. At some point, you realize that you are getting the job done and you move on to the next night. Thats where the confidence comes from!!! You know how to get the job done and people don't like it!!!

I just know its easy to be an armchair referee, just like the Minnisota/NO game..... And I'm not going to tell you to take the test blah blah blah.. I just say sit back and enjoy watching your kids play and the fact that they are getting to play!! Enjoy what the game has envolved into! Kinda like country music, nobody really wants to hear the old stuff!!

[LtDan]

I kinda like the old stuff! I hear now somewhere in Hank Sr. style "Theres a tear in my beer"

[T2S2A]

Lets just have Apple create a robot referee to call all the games. Don't have to pay them and don't have to worry about cheating.

 

But wait, if we did that, what would people get on message boards to complain about?

 

[Thebballguru]

Swing, hit or miss, is ruled a fight. You are ejected and must sit for two games (or what is normally played in a week).

 

While this is the rule, more times than not (a swing and a miss especially) ejections are not enforced as they should be. Technical fouls are issued, the coach generally pulls that player out of the game and thats as far as it goes. Ejecting a player(s) for fighting is a rule for a reason and if it was enforced a little more strictly instead of just the technical foul route then maybe these kids would think twice before doing it again...

[fiftyfifty]

Swing, hit or miss, is ruled a fight. You are ejected and must sit for two games (or what is normally played in a week).

 

While this is the rule, more times than not (a swing and a miss especially) ejections are not enforced as they should be. Technical fouls are issued, the coach generally pulls that player out of the game and thats as far as it goes. Ejecting a player(s) for fighting is a rule for a reason and if it was enforced a little more strictly instead of just the technical foul route then maybe these kids would think twice before doing it again...

 

Ejections are not enforced as they should be. (Thats your opinion, nothing more, nothing less.) Is there a difference between fighting and swinging an elbow? Welllll, once again, I guess its comes down to opinion. That should settle it, but wait, there are more opinions than Quaker Oats. I am surprised that anyone that claims sanity would want to referee. The very people on this thread that state that a referee should shut out all the name calling, vulgarity, etc, would end up in jail for fighting or assault if the same name calling was directed at them. But wait, since a person decides to become a referee, somehow the same rules of decency do not apply to him or her. All referees do what these poster want, thats all thats important, forget decency, setting good examples for the children, just do what they want if you can figure out what they want. I am afraid that 80.00 just ain't worth it to most folks.

[5-Sport Dad]

5-sport dad, we are paid VERY well actually. 80 for two high school games. So three hours of actual work. So lets break it down for you.... game is at 6:00pm start. We are there at 5:00 for pregame and getting ready to be on the floor at 5:45. So if we have to be there at 5, what time do we have to leave work? Does leaving our real job make us lose money since we left early? Then you get done around 8:45/9:00 depending on the type of game 5sport wants it to be called. So let's just say for better arguement that its 4:30-9. I would say thats about 17 dollars an hour. Extremely good actually for part time. Then lets add in, the 5 meetings that we have to attend, which are on Sunday (missing football games) So I have to take 3 hours out of my Sunday to go to a meeting for free to figure out how to make sure we go from "should never work again to well good thing it wasn't a big game". Then pay each year my local and state dues, which come to about 200. Then to go to camp which is 175. Then the uniforms that we have to wear. Then you have to clean those clothes...... So really in all it evens out there and we don't really make that much money so you can get your monies worth when you come to a game..

So I'm sure at your job you make a whole lot more than 17 an hour. And lets say that you might get yelled at everyday and told that you are the worst employee they have ever seen. At some point, you realize that you are getting the job done and you move on to the next night. Thats where the confidence comes from!!! You know how to get the job done and people don't like it!!!

I just know its easy to be an armchair referee, just like the Minnisota/NO game..... And I'm not going to tell you to take the test blah blah blah.. I just say sit back and enjoy watching your kids play and the fact that they are getting to play!! Enjoy what the game has envolved into! Kinda like country music, nobody really wants to hear the old stuff!!

There's no emoticom for whining, but if there was I'd insert one here. Also, if my job were this bad, I'd probably move on and spend more time with my family/friends. After reading all this, I wonder why you keep doing it or feel a responsibility to defend it. If it's this bad maybe you should consider retirement...if for nothing else so you can catch all those football games you're missing.

 

The problem is some of you guys don't let my kids play the game the way it was originally intended. Some of you/your colleagues allow them to almost be assaulted...and no matter what you or anybody else says, I don't like it. Do your children play? If not, you don't have a clue. If they do, please, don't tell me you never disagree with a call and also either want to express your disappointment or you do express it...probably oh so gently to your comrades with a wink and a nod. As far as the 'evolving' game, do you watch the NBA? GREAT players, but it's a joke...because Daddy Stern has allowed it to 'evolve' into a circus. Hopefully, it's dying a slow death and somebody with character will take over and make it fun to watch again...and reign in the thugs. I doubt it, but then again I'm optimistic.

 

Sorry, but I don't feel sorry for you one bit. Life is tough. Not doing your job fairly just makes it tougher. Who knows, you may very well be one of the (very) few and the proud (most). From your post, though, I kinda doubt it.

[scboaref]

Most of us do this for the love of the game and the kids. If it wasn't for the kids I would stay home and get all this abuse from the wife!!!!!!! (another reason to referee)

[etownsparky]

Most of us do this for the love of the game and the kids. If it wasn't for the kids I would stay home and get all this abuse from the wife!!!!!!! (another reason to referee)

 

I will admit that often I'm chief among critics. Mostly I just get frustrated by the incompetence that is often displayed by some officials. Incompetence is not tolerated in other professions and it shouldn't be with officials either. I don't think refs have the intention to "cheat" anyone. I think it just appears that way sometimes when their egos get in the way. However, I do appreciate those that take the job seriously, don't cop an attitude, and do their best. That's all that can reasonably be expected. Mistakes are inevitable because officials are human. Realizing that and taking the verbal abuse that comes with the territory is part of the job.

 

For those of you that do it for the love of the game and the kids, I applaud you. Those that are on a power trip or have other agendas, do yourselves (and everyone else) a favor a find something else to do.

[OldSchoolCharger]

To the referees out there on this blog.... I have been a coach and was raised by a long time coach so I know several refs and officials personally. One of the traits of the good old school refs were they were more worried about being in the proper position to make the call than the proper mechanics or what was being said from the stands. I have never questioned a call IF the ref or official was hustling and in position, no matter if I thought different of the call. I assumed he saw what I did not... Now my problem with a lot of today's refs is the lack of hustle and making long distance calls overtop another official who was in position. I feel that the fans in the stands see the lack of effort and that is why some are very vocal during games. I am one who doesn't think the three officials in basketball has made it better, I see a lot more lazy efforts and missed calls than in the days of the two person teams. And by the way, I have had this discussion with several of my "Ref" friends and to the person, they agree.

[etownsparky]

To the referees out there on this blog.... I have been a coach and was raised by a long time coach so I know several refs and officials personally. One of the traits of the good old school refs were they were more worried about being in the proper position to make the call than the proper mechanics or what was being said from the stands. I have never questioned a call IF the ref or official was hustling and in position, no matter if I thought different of the call. I assumed he saw what I did not... Now my problem with a lot of today's refs is the lack of hustle and making long distance calls overtop another official who was in position. I feel that the fans in the stands see the lack of effort and that is why some are very vocal during games. I am one who doesn't think the three officials in basketball has made it better, I see a lot more lazy efforts and missed calls than in the days of the two person teams. And by the way, I have had this discussion with several of my "Ref" friends and to the person, they agree.

 

Great post...I too find myself being more tolerant of missed calls when there is an apparent effort on an official's part to hustle and be in the correct position. On the contrary, I absolutely detest watching official(s) loaf. To me, the lack of effort reflects a lack of respect. I have similar reservations about the 3-person vs. 2-person crew. I think there are multiple pit-falls with the 3-person crew. First, is the point you already made about the tendency to get complacent. Secondly, I'm not convinced that officials understand the areas of the floor they are responsible for in the different positions. As you mentioned, the emphasis appears to be on mechanics and proper rotations rather than getting the best result. Last and possibly most critical, I think calls are often "missed" not because an official didn't see what happened, but rather there is a hesitation waiting for the other official in the area to blow a whistle. It appears this often results in play continuing with neither actually blowing a whistle when you get the impression both were about to. Logic would support the fact that 3 people should provide better coverage and thus do a better job than two, but I'm not sure my experience supports that conclusion. Just my 2 cents...