Officiating in the Area

[bbjunky81]

I do it because I love the game and I love the bond that we share as officials.

But the way people act is driving people away in droves. People are always going to disagree with calls. It happens. But buying a $5 ticket to a game should not be a permit to berate the officials.

I have 9 games this week. There are literally no officials out there. I had a game to fill three weeks ago. I contacted over 60 people and all of them were booked.

If people started having a little more class in the stands, I believe there would be more officials to go around.

Great post, Crab, and I agree.

Just out of curiosity.. Are there certain schools you go to where the fans are much less harsh to officials and tend to keep their mouth shut? Feel free to list them. I want to know because I wonder if that credit is due to the administration of the school or if certain communities are just more respectful than others.

[Crab's Brother]

I do it because I love the game and I love the bond that we share as officials.

But the way people act is driving people away in droves. People are always going to disagree with calls. It happens. But buying a $5 ticket to a game should not be a permit to berate the officials.

I have 9 games this week. There are literally no officials out there. I had a game to fill three weeks ago. I contacted over 60 people and all of them were booked.

If people started having a little more class in the stands, I believe there would be more officials to go around.

Great post, Crab, and I agree.

Just out of curiosity.. Are there certain schools you go to where the fans are much less harsh to officials and tend to keep their mouth shut? Feel free to list them. I want to know because I wonder if that credit is due to the administration of the school or if certain communities are just more respectful than others.

Of the places I have been, I feel like Athens has been the best. Never really hear much there. I will have to think about the rest. Jackson is another that is very well behaved.

South Webster has been very good both times I have been there this season. Chillicothe and Eastern (Pike) have been the rowdiest.

[mlittle]

You want quality official's?
Stop fans from screaming at them every time a play doesn't go their way.
Stop coaches from treating officials like dirt.

Raising the pay may give an initial boost in numbers but then officials will start leaving because they get treated like crap every single night.

You couldn't pay me 500 dollars a game to ref basketball. That kind of abuse isn't worth any amount of money.

Has there always been a shortage of officials because I feel like this hasn’t changed. I played in the 90’s and fans were just as rowdy or even rowdier then. I feel like the ohsaa has created this facade of fans driving officials away. My question is what has changed? I assure u that fans haven’t.

[bbjunky81]

Thanks, Crab.

I've always believed the way players act on the floor is a representation of the coach. If the coach allows it, it can spiral out of control until a point it is near unfixable.

But in terms of parents I'm always unsure of who to blame for allowing it. First off, parents shouldn't act like idiots as they are grown adults...... But in terms of allowing it, I hope that certain schools and administrators keep a tight grip on it and throw out habitual distractions.

[art_vandelay]

Thanks, Crab.

I've always believed the way players act on the floor is a representation of the coach. If the coach allows it, it can spiral out of control until a point it is near unfixable.

But in terms of parents I'm always unsure of who to blame for allowing it. First off, parents shouldn't act like idiots as they are grown adults...... But in terms of allowing it, I hope that certain schools and administrators keep a tight grip on it and throw out habitual distractions.

I know it not anywhere near the same level, but I've helped with a biddy league team last few years and we had to have a talk with our 6th grade parents last year about shutting up about the officiating b/c it usually just made things worse for the kids. High school games obviously different with student sections and a lot more fans, but the administration/coaching staff could at least try something to deter it.

I've kicked around the idea of officiating for a few years, but ultimately decided that the amount of abuse they take is not worth it no matter how much I love the game.*

[fox_40]

I think the State has an easy fix for 80 percent of the problems that we face today in High School basketball.

1. If a fan gets removed by the Admin/Ref/Cops they should be given $100 fine. This would start showing people that they must be accountable for actions. This money could be used for Charity or go back to the schools for educational funding etc.....

Fans are much worse now!! We have reports of fans walking on the court, going after officials after games, waiting in parking lots.... Officials do it for the kids and love of the game. Its not the money or whatever anyone else thinks. It's because they love working with the kids and spending time and giving back.
Most Refs would agree you are gone about 4 hours per night including your drive time and game time. 70 for Var. game....10 for gas....so 60 bucks...So most are doing this for 15.00 per hour and getting treated like dogs.

It needs to change soon!

[mlittle]

I think the State has an easy fix for 80 percent of the problems that we face today in High School basketball.

1. If a fan gets removed by the Admin/Ref/Cops they should be given $100 fine. This would start showing people that they must be accountable for actions. This money could be used for Charity or go back to the schools for educational funding etc.....

Fans are much worse now!! We have reports of fans walking on the court, going after officials after games, waiting in parking lots.... Officials do it for the kids and love of the game. Its not the money or whatever anyone else thinks. It's because they love working with the kids and spending time and giving back.
Most Refs would agree you are gone about 4 hours per night including your drive time and game time. 70 for Var. game....10 for gas....so 60 bucks...So most are doing this for 15.00 per hour and getting treated like dogs.

It needs to change soon!

This was all happening when I played. I witnessed it first hand as a player at many of my basketball games. Fans are not worse now. I think what has changed is people are less tolerable to it now

[bbjunky81]

1. If a fan gets removed by the Admin/Ref/Cops they should be given $100 fine. This would start showing people that they must be accountable for actions. This money could be used for Charity or go back to the schools for educational funding etc.....

I'm pretty sure that Adams County actually does have this rule in place. If you are thrown out you are given a fine of $100 or $125 or somewhere around that.

All counties need to adopt that policy.

[fox_40]

They do have that in Adams Co. It has helped in that area! I hope that State of Ohio brings this to ALL counties. Some States are passing laws and I think it will help!

[Ironman92]

1. If a fan gets removed by the Admin/Ref/Cops they should be given $100 fine. This would start showing people that they must be accountable for actions. This money could be used for Charity or go back to the schools for educational funding etc.....

I'm pretty sure that Adams County actually does have this rule in place. If you are thrown out you are given a fine of $100 or $125 or somewhere around that.

All counties need to adopt that policy.

It was a $100, not sure if it’s changed.

[itsme]

If fans and coaches would know the rules it would help

[itsme]

95% or more of time fans watch the ball then if a foul is called on the other side of the court fans will scream no way

[mikepike]

I've been getting on officials as long as I can remember. Until, that is, I started running the clock at Piketon games. Something could be called literally every time the ball is dribbled. I'd say 80%of the games I've attended have been well officiated. The biggest things I see is allowing the roughness to get out of hand (it's basketball, not the MMA!) and officials not hustling and getting into proper position on the court. I don't think the fans are any better or worse than in years past, but the overall attitudes of the players certainly is. Face it- none of the kids playing in our area are going to be in the NBA, yet they act like they're NBA stars bound for the SportsCenter Top 10 Plays of the Day!

[packers80]

There are some good young officials in the SE District. But there aren’t enough officials to go around and that’s country wide not just locally.
Increasing money isn’t the answer. The good ones work because the love the game, cause there’s no money in it at this level.
It has helped that things are being assigned, now there’s accountability.
Will it ever be a utopia, doubtful. It’s a tough job, thankless job. It will continue to be that way. I guarantee they are trying to do their best.

jbeen...jack sparrow would know.

[Orange and Brown]

1. If a fan gets removed by the Admin/Ref/Cops they should be given $100 fine. This would start showing people that they must be accountable for actions. This money could be used for Charity or go back to the schools for educational funding etc.....

I'm pretty sure that Adams County actually does have this rule in place. If you are thrown out you are given a fine of $100 or $125 or somewhere around that.

All counties need to adopt that policy.

It's not a county policy but more likely a disorderly conduct ticket given by the police maybe?

[Seopnation]

I've always like it too when officials will discuss certain things with the coaches. And to that point, the coaches should be considerate enough to not publicly shame the official by screaming at them. The best crews i've seen are the ones that will come to a coach and explain a call (or non call), and even admit if they've missed one. Coaches know the officials are human but just having those simple conversations justifies it even more.

[JC2124]

I did see a guy get thrown out at South Gallia. They threw the wrong guy out. It was a guy 2 rows up from this gentleman. Whatever was said wasn’t loud, I was 20 feet away. I remember the days when officials didn’t pay attention to the crowd unless it was a big scene. I purposely avoid those select parents that are really loud for this reason. I’m there to support my son and the team. I don’t want to get tossed for something I didn’t say or do.

[mlittle]

I've always like it too when officials will discuss certain things with the coaches. And to that point, the coaches should be considerate enough to not publicly shame the official by screaming at them. The best crews i've seen are the ones that will come to a coach and explain a call (or non call), and even admit if they've missed one. Coaches know the officials are human but just having those simple conversations justifies it even more.

If more officials admitted to a coach they simply just missed a call or made a bad one I bet the coach and officials relationship would be a little smoother. I know there are several officials that do this and at that point the coach really doesn’t have much to say. But there are several officials that have never missed a call or made a bad one in their life and wouldn’t admit to it under any circumstance. But that’s just one thing in my opinion that separates some of the good ones from the not so good ones.

[32west]

1. If a fan gets removed by the Admin/Ref/Cops they should be given $100 fine. This would start showing people that they must be accountable for actions. This money could be used for Charity or go back to the schools for educational funding etc.....

I'm pretty sure that Adams County actually does have this rule in place. If you are thrown out you are given a fine of $100 or $125 or somewhere around that.

All counties need to adopt that policy.

It's not a county policy but more likely a disorderly conduct ticket given by the police maybe?

Correct. It is a disorderly conduct ticket that is up to the officers discretion whether they issue it or not

[WhiskeyTwoFive]

My first thought is this....if youre complaining about the officials, go get your license and suit up. Shortage problem solved.

Secondly, people can say "its the same as the 80s and 90s" and I disagree. Did we have rowdy parents and yelling back then? Yes, I yelled at the refs as a student but it wasnt ever personal or demeaning like it is now. Things like facebook have made everyone feel like they have a right to comment, and that their opinion is right and they will argue everything they see. I believe it flows over to sports as well. These parents yell everytime their kid gets touched, or their kid gets a call on them...its ridiculous. If your kid, or your teams player, goes a whole game...okay lets say a half...without getting fouled and not getting a call, or they dont get a foul on them----they arent playing hard enough.

Leave the officials alone! Pro officials miss calls...and now we have 32 stoppages a game for reply which sucks!

and while im on my soapbox...before you make an ass out of yourself and yell profanities across the gym remember there are kids watching you...maybe even your own!