RATE THE REFS

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Alhambra football team should be in first place in the almont league. If it was'nt for the poor play calling of the offensive coorinator I really believe they would be. Manny makes it so hard on himself. He only throws the ball long when gets into touble with little time left. He's got the almont league champion in the 100 meter dash, the 110 meter hurdles, and high jump, and he only throw to him about 6or7 times a games. that's crazy. Hes your play maker. How can you not go to him. Sure Brown and Smith are good but Zion is better at any situation. If you want six points you go to him Manny you are a horrible coach. you take a simple solution and make it hard on yourself. I sit in the stands and shake my head in discuss amost every game. Horrible play calling. MANNY DON'T BLAME YOUR PLAYERS YOU ARE THE BLAME.

Jp sounds like a basketball coach to me. They alays have issues with officials.

JP, the onslaught of "superior" votes caught me by surprise too. Looks like someone stuffed the ballot box.

By the way, nice job mobilizing the troops to flood the poll. I'm sure 300 people woke up this morning and just randomly decided to vote that the officials' performance was "Superior". It's kind of pathetic.

Note to JP,

Wow, sounds like I have hit a nerve. I knew officials were a sensitive lot. I could unleash an hour-long diatribe, but I'll keep my retort brief.

You talk a lot but really say nothing but the same old tired theme: It's everybody else but us. Say something about an official and their first response is, "But what about the coaches???"

During my time in sports, when I have seen an official do a good job, I have let them and the assignor know. It's not the bad ones I even have a problem with as long as they're working hard. It's the bad ones that are arrogant AND lazy. They tend to occupy the leadership spots in the local associations and, as stated before, there is very much a good ol' boys network.

No one wants to look at the real reasons why officials are fleeing for other associations instead of being stuck working for the SGV. Of course, I'm sure the problems lies with these officials and not the association.

Schools are having to play their varsity games at 3:15, 4:00, on Thursdays, on Saturdays, etc. This costs athletic programs revenue in a time when athletic budgets are being cut. Parents who want to watch their kids play can't because they are working. The thrill of playing under the lights is being taken away from these kids. All because the officials assocation can't get their act together. Sorry, that's inexcusable (although I'm sure you'll find a way to excuse it away).

The CIF takes official evaluation about as seriously as it takes athletic transfers (which is inconsistent, spotty and enforced where convenient). The liaision is nothing more than an advocate for the officials. The appeal process is a joke because the official's report is considered the first and last word in any case. A coach could not use profanity, but if an official said he did, he's suspended. I'd love to know what repercussions come from this. Do they get a "write up"? Do they get verbally reprimended? The punishment they face should be just as public as the ejection a coach must face, justified or not. Instead, everything is handled in private (super secret probation?) and we're just supposed to believe that everything is taken care of? Please.

Finally, it's not about who hurt me. I've been ejected once in my coaching career. I was younger and I deserved it. The ones who have been hurt are the athletes and coaches who have worked hard only to have their seasons undone by unprofessional officials. The ones who have been hurt are the good officials who succeed in spite of the good ol' boys network that limits their opportunities. The ones who have been hurt are the players who are stuck playing at 3:15 or 4 o'clock. The ones who have been hurt are the schools who now must cut back further due to lost revenue because of games being played in the afternoon.

You'll reply, but much like your last post, the phrase, "Me thinketh thou protesth too much" will apply. Have the last word. That's the way it goes with officials anyway.

NOTE 2 JP, thanks for that response. If you read my original post, I said the refs do the best they can. I'm not complaining about all of them, just the ones who feel the need to be more important than the game.

Wow! A lot of negative opinions about officials. I guess it is the nature of the beast. I think JP mentions that it is only about 10% of officials who give the avocation a bad name, yet JP spends about 90% of the time bashing officials. OK, got that off of my chest-for now. an official's orginization is only as good as the leadership. ANY organization is only as good as it's leadership. Some are head and shoulders better than others. How officials are rewarded and/or consequenced for on field performance is usually at the discretion of the association; and sometimes, on rare occasions, at the behest of the CIF(If you don't like it, complain to the CIF-you are a member aren't you?). Each association is to have an evaluation system in place; usually a peer review syatem. It is not perfect, but many "veteran" officials take it seriously.
I didn't know JP was a mind reader or an expert in respect to the ejection process...unless of course, JP has personal experience being ejected. JP states, "When coaches are ejected, they are automatically suspended. No hearing, no appeal, it's automatic. It's inherently problematic when you put that much power and control in a high school official's hands. And yes, it does go to their head and they use it liberally and not always for the intent of "keeping order". There is no process in place for dealing with poor officials, regardless of the canned response you will get from the CIF or the liasons. For an official, all it takes is their word for a coach to be disciplined." WOW! well, there it is. JP says it goes to the heads of officials, so it MUST be so. Oh, but wait, that's only 10% of them, right?
Coaches, players, AD's have the right to appeal an ejection with the CIF-SS office. Some even get taken to court (a local high school baseball coach in playoffs? Is that what JP is alluding to later on in the blog entry?)Do some officials get carried away? Absolutely. Are some officials thin-skinned or TRIGGER-happy? Absolutely. Are there some coaches who verbally abuse and try to intimidate officials? Absolutely! Are there coaches who purposely try to "work" an official in an effort to get an advantage? Hmmm. I wonder...You bet there are! Human nature! Citing a specific incident about an assignor lying about coaches dropping F-bombs on an ejection report sounds like sour grapes to me. Sounds as if JP was in some way involved (see above). Citing the TC incident also seems like JP has (what was the phrase??) "a bug up his/her-(the TC coach in ? was a woman, right?) You know what."
Sorry, just had to say that. I am SURE that JP was at both of the events and heard everything that transpired, video or no video (and maybe I was too...). Were there not two sides to the story? Oops forgot, "They (officials)can show up late, have a poor attitude, get a bug up their you know what for a coach and take it out on the players or flat out be bad and there are no repercussions."

From the CIF-SS Blue Book

SPORTSMANSHIP
It is strongly recommended by the Executive Committee that leagues adopt rules which
address the following areas of sportsmanship.
- A coach or team shall never leave the playing area until the contest is completed.
- Unsportsmanlike conduct by spectators, coaches, and players will not be tolerated.
- Noise makers are not allowed.
- Cheerleaders are to use positive cheers and will direct cheers to their own team.
COACHES
- Always set a good example for participants and fans to follow, exemplifying the highest
moral and ethical behavior.
- Instruct participants in proper sportsmanship responsibilities and demand that they make
sportsmanship the No. 1 priority.
- Respect judgment of contest officials, abide by rules of the event and display no behavior
that could incite fans.
- Treat opposing coaches, participants and fans with respect. Shake hands with officials,
opposing coach in public.
- Develop and enforce penalties for participants who do not abide by sportsmanship
standards.
ATHLETES
- Treat opponents with respect; shake hands prior to and after contests.
- Respect judgment of contest officials, abide by rules of the contest and display no behavior
that could incite fans.
- Cooperate with officials, coaches and fellow participants to conduct a fair contest.
- Accept seriously the responsibility and privilege of representing school and community;
display positive public action at all times.
- Live up to high standards of sportsmanship established by coach.

JP states that there are no repercussions for officials, "They can show up late, have a poor attitude, get a bug up their you know what for a coach and take it out on the players or flat out be bad and there are no repercussions." (I just love that line) Well...Yes and no. Admittedly, JP, there are officials who arrive late, are overweight, may not be likeable. You say there are no repercussions. Perhaps the repercussions are not to YOUR satisfaction. Officials are independent contractors and do not work for the CIF-SS. That makes it difficult for the CIF-SS to punish an official, whereas the MEMBER SCHOOLS" belong to the CIF-SS.
That, I believe, Is why there is no "Code" written in such as the one for coaches and athletes. However, the State CIF (which oversees the parent groups of each sport officials association in respect to certification) had better see one in each association constitution.
"The primary responsibilities of CIF are to administer high school athletic
programs and to promulgate and enforce rules relating to a student's
involvement in athletics - age, semesters in school, scholarship,
residence, transfer status, and amateur standing. Such regulations,
which are generated by the 1,400 member base of secondary schools,
prevent undesirable exploitation of high school students, provide for
the welfare of participants, and ensure that interscholastic athletics offer
major benefits to students in a safe, rewarding environment."
One thing the CIF can do is NOT assign playoff contests to associations who are NOT properly serving schools in their assignment area. What does "not properly serving schools in their assingment area mean?" Sometimes that means:
-Officials are consistently "no showing" for assigned contests.
-Officials who are NOT properly certified by their associations are assigned to contests.
-incidents, gross misapplication of NFHS rules.
So maybe you do not see any repercussions, but ask any of the 90% (your figure) of officials who did not work a playoff contest because of the actions of some of their bretheren. But according to JP, "Watching officials at a CIF playoff game is like a roll call of the worst officials the area has to offer (Is JP speaking as an authority on being the worst in an area?)." so I guess the point is moot.
Do officials need to work harder and improve? ABSOLUTELY! The student/athlete deserves it. Along with the coaches, parents AND THE ADULT FANS, officials serve as role models to the athletes.
Jp says,"Have you ever thought that perhaps the poor example set by many officials (what happened to only 10%?) deters athletes from going down that path? Perhaps they figure they don't weight (sic) enough, are too in shape or care too much about athletics to qualify."
Nice! Very nice JP.
Oh, but it's only the 10% to whom he refers. Coaches, spectators NEVER display unreasonable, irrational behavior. Well, maybe only 10% of them display such behavior.
We could go back and forth. You have probably guessed on which side I stand. I pride myself on being professional (blogs excluded), even in the face of unprofessional behavior (which happens a lot more than most people realize).

Come on. Admit it! You have issues with officials, and not just 10% of them. It's unfortunate you are STUCK in the SGV, but I hope you are trying to do something positive to encourage potential new officials. Maybe you will write something positive in this blog about the 90% of the "good ones". Maybe you might try a sport yourself? Maybe you are already an official or were one in the past? Were/are you in that 10%?
Who hurt you, JP? Your liason? Assignor?
Reading that you "have been involved in high school athletics at many levels for 15 years now", surprises me-well not really. It appears to me that you don't seem to take the officials survey seriously. The CIF-SS eexecutive council does. So does the CIF fees negotiating committee. By the way, those committees are made up by the member schools-I am fairly certain you knew that. Did you not offer feedback?
What would satisfy you about recruiting and retaining officials?
How about trips made to community college PE classes?...check(I can only speak for an area association of which I am familiar) ?
Advertising in local newspapers?... check. Speaking to high school seniors?...Check. Members of youth orginizations who are members in high school associations speaking at meetings?...check. Acknowledging the need to retain and recruit even more?..Check. Working with the schools and administrators who promote the CIF principle of "Victory With Honor" to meet expectations of excellence and professionalism on the field?...check.
Having Fred Robledo write something positive about officials?...Yeah...right.
Sorry Fred, I guess you are in the 11th percentile.
Fred-Am I "spot on too?"
Nothing personal, of course. Just part of the job, eh?

When the local San Gabriel goes from 120 men to 85 in 5 years something is wrong with the system or the unit. I'm not sure what it is.

SB,

Through your comments, I still have not heard one thing that the assignors and those in charge of officials do to increase the number of officials. I hear you saying what everyone else should be doing, but I haven't heard what they actually do. It's probably leadership's arrogant attitude that people should just come to them.

In so far as the cost of being umpire, good luck finding sympathy with the coaches and players on that one while officials make upwards of $25 an hour tax free. I hate to break it to you, but while no one gets rich off of high school sports, officials make out the best.

In so far as schools being serviced by officials, if they had the ability to go to other associations that aren't having the same problem with numbers, perhaps there wouldn't be as many problems. In the face of competition, maybe they'd finally go out and find extra officials, do what it takes to retain them and be more professional in their approach. If I don't like the service to my car, I can take it somewhere else. That same option isn't there for officials.

Finally, you wonder why officials would want to face the hostility. Again, blame is placed at the lap of everyone else but the officials. Like I said, it's a small portion of officials that ruin it, but players see enough of these guys per year to decide, "I don't want to be like that".

This is because most assignors refuse to acknowledge and do anything about the bad ones. The main reason for this is the bad ones are the members of the good ol' boys network Scott alluded to above. The good, young ones get tired of watching the bad ones assign themselves to premium games while they are left to wonder when they'll be immoble, old, bitter, disinterested, arrogant or overweight enough to draw good games. Watching officials at a CIF playoff game is like a roll call of the worst officials the area has to offer.

JP,

So the difference between 3:15 and 3:30 does not make much difference to you, but it does to others who cannot leave until 2:45 or so. So starting at 4:00 is just absurd although it most likely would make more people able to get to games on time.

You talk about those who take off at the bell to officiate. Most officals do not get rich off of officiating. The local unit member must pay the assigners for their games which can be as much as $150 and dues somewhere between $75-100 for each sport. Oh yeah, uniforms, supplies, (check the prices of chest protectors lately?), not to mention miliage and the hours of meetings and clinics.

Another thing, the idea of schools helping out recruiting officials actually came from former CIF-SS Assistant Commissioner, Bill Clark. Since the schools are serviced by officials, lending a hand in helping swell their ranks make some sense.

You realize that without officials there are no games. Some people's posts seem quite hostile to officials, so it is a wonder why anyone would subject themselves to an advocation that produces virtually nothing but criticism.

Overall, I'd say that most officials did play the sport they officiate at the HS level.

I know in many sports the only "recruiting" that is done is between sports. Everyone who has coached or been involved in officiating knows the officials who work a sport only for the paycheck, but have never played that sport themselves. What does a basketball ref know about volleyball or softball? Not much. I don't know how it is for football, but too many officials have never played the sport they're trying to officiate.
Many of the officials associations are bogged down in politics of their own. Too often it's a "good ol' boys" network where young (and very very good officals) get burnt by the old guard. Being a HS official for longer does not make you better, and being new to the scene does not make you a bad ref. (Come to think of it, this is very similar to teachers unions, tenure, and payscales.)
I think most of the officials are good and know what they are doing, but it is important to get new faces in there who are familiar with the sports they are trying to ref, instead of those who only read the rulebook.

SB,

Why is it everyone else's responsibility to find officials? It is the unit's, the assignor's and the liasion's responsibility to make sure their ranks are plenty stocked. I still have yet to hear what they do to be proactive in recruiting new officials.

In so far as coaches keeping players year round, once again, it's more of, "It's everyone else's responsibility but ours to solve the problem". Trying to tie the lack of officials into some false culture created by schools is such a far stretch I wouldn't be shocked if you popped both of your hamstrings. I'm assuming you are an official and it's not a surprise that you try to put everything at the feet of coaches and the athletic departments instead of taking responsibility yourselves.

You say athletic departments should be pushing these kids toward officiating, but where are the assignors and liasions to reach out to them? Another example of expecting everyone to come flocking to you instead of going out to recruit and find them and it is clear that approach is not working.

Educators should be staying behind at school serving as coaches, club advisors or helping their students afterschool instead of bolting the school at the sound of the bell to make money off of high school sports. That is truly the culture that is wrecking high school athletics.

Games starting at 3:15 allow for students to get home, do their work, not get stuck walking home in the dark, etc. If 15 minutes shouldn't make a difference to a school, then it shouldn't make a difference to an official showing up on time. Like I said, why should everyone else have to adjust because of a problem those in charge of the officials have created themselves?

Have you ever thought that perhaps the poor example set by many officials deters athletes from going down that path? Perhaps they figure they don't weight enough, are too in shape or care too much about athletics to qualify. Like I said, it's a small portion of officials that ruin it, but players see enough of these guys per year to decide, "I don't want to be like that".

I still have heard nothing about umpire accountability and with schools paying good money for a service, it's a shame that it is not an issue for the assignors, liasions and the CIF.

JP

Why do all games have to start at 3:15? That is where we lose the educators, who at once dominated the officials community.

Even a 3:30 start would make it easier so the poor guy is not changing in the car while he is driving to the game, especially after daylight savings time in spring sports.

As for youth league officals not being recruited, that is bunk. Most youth leagues, especially in football, use HS officials or those who once did HS but can no longer work those games due to work.

Other youth league use in house officials, in which I have even tried to help out those rec leagues my own kids were playing to upgrade their officiating, but were not interested.

Trying to get Little League umpires to move to HS ball is also difficult. Many don't want to work over 12 year old baseball, because they would have to learn a whole new set of rules and mechanics.

Most HS officials did start out as youth ball umpires. Try to find a Pop Warner or Jr All-American football official that did not or does not work HS ball?

Many rec basketball and Church basketball leauges only use certified HS officials. I really want to know those youth officials that would like to work HS sports that are not being contacted? The can always contact the CIF-SS website to get the list of local liasons to hook the up with the right people in their sport.

Lastly, what about the schools athletic departments? How about encouraging the many HS athletes, most of whom will not play college or professional sports, to consider officiating after they end their playing days? Officials need new blood, and why not those players who graced these ball diamonds, gridirons, soccer pitches, or courts just a season or so before? Especially if the ywant to stay in the game?

What about non-season coaches? Why can't more of them swell the ranks of officials? Most coaches nowadays are keeping players year around and ther is little sharing of players thesedays, especially in the larger schools. So the culture in education itself just may be a culprit in today's shortage of officials.

Something to think about.

JP
I think I'll throw a flag on you for making such a good call. Find that obscure rule! Is there more than one 400 lb. ref cuz we've had him twice and boy did you hit the mark with the "effort" of placing the ball. It's great that these guys are out there but they show a lack of attention to detail. I'll even poke at McQueen---you have the discretion to "pick up the flag" and waive the penalty. I don't know many of the officials but one guy that really seems to get it is Jon Crowley. He'd rather slow the game down a bit and confer with his other officials before settling on a poor judgement call.

SB,

My point is that a lot of these people who work the youth leagues have never even been approached about working high school games. What do assignors and liaisons do to increase their ranks? Their approach is to wait and see who comes to them. They are not the least bit proactive, particularly in football.

Basketball in this area never seems to have issue with game coverage and most of their games are played in the afternoon/early evening. Yes, there are only 2 refs in basketball, but there are also more games being played at a given time. Their assignor, Bob McQueen, is proactive in making sure they have enough officials AND he will address any discipline issues that come up with his refs.

It isn't a school's responsibility to make sure a teacher can leave and go do another job, particularly when that teacher does nothing for the school beyond their teaching day. So don't try to put this on schools. I know teachers that race out of school to go referee instead of staying and coaching or advising a club.

And that leads to the money issue. Refs and umps are making close to $25 an hour to officiate (most of the time, tax free) and they get paid on the spot with either cash or checks. In addition, coaches make much less per hour than officials do. So working conditions is hardly an area that needs improvement.

Red lines and black lines are virtually useless. Many a time I have heard a coach say, “Why’s he here? I red lined him.� Is this an issue that can be taken care of on the spot? Yes…as long as you pay the official to leave. Thus, if an assignor ignores your red-line and sends an official to your game, you are responsible to pay them. What’s the process for taking care of this? There is none. You call the assignor and the liaison and they basically tell you it is your problem because there aren’t enough officials.

There is also the matter of the officials assigned. Most of your good officials are given the option of which games they want to work (or the assignor assigns themselves to). So they pick the Arcadias, Monrovias, Temple Citys…you know, the games where a bunch of people can watch them. Meanwhile, the schools in the western part of the valley like Alhambra, Blair, Keppel get the shaft. If you coach at one of those schools, do you ever wonder why you see the same garbage officials over and over?

See, the assignors and liaisons don’t understand that they are in a service industry. However, unlike other service industries, you cannot go to another company. You are stuck with your association and you are stuck paying good money for poor performance. Why shouldn’t schools be allowed to find other associations to draw officials from? Maybe then the overall quality would improve and schools wouldn't be stuck with the 400 lb referees who can't run 3 yards to make a call (and then spot the ball, taking two yards away because they cannot physically place the ball down exactly where it should be) or the ones who have no pride in what they are doing.

Finally, on the rules thing, believe me…you don’t need to tell me that officials know the rules because they never stop reminding you that they know the game better than you do. They go out of their way during games to call obscure rules and penalties that never happened just to make sure they get this point across. The example of throwing a flag for a belt being improper while ignoring blatant holding and interference calls is a perfect example of this. Many officials love to focus on everything but the game and on what will make them visible. Oh yeah, and good luck getting an official to concede they are wrong (the good one do, the bad ones just get angry at you and keep making the same bad calls).

It’s unfortunate, but it just takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch. However, it’s a leadership issue and until the leadership pulls their head out of the sand and decide to get proactive about making their profession better, the same old problems will still exist.

Pay more and complain less. Just like anything, providing better working conditions will attract better talent.

What is the usual profile of people who sign up to be officials?

When the average weight is 300 lbs for the Umpire who sits behind the linebackers something is wrong.

It really depends on the crew that you get and the baggage they carry with them. I will agree that the refs can have a thankless job, but sometimes they just get downright dumb. I saw a ref get mad at coaches for not standing back "behind the line" and then ignoring blatant fouls right in front of them. This type of payback is not fair or warranted. If you take the job, be fair, be constant and don't take sides.

Since I have seen good crews and awful crews, the rating is average, but there is a lot of variables in the different refs.

JP

You talk about officials working youth and Little Leagues and many would love to work HS ball, but most of them are unable to work at 3:15 in the afternoon which is where most HS games take place in virtually all sports. Virtually any youth association that has HS officials working for them, do try to have those officials who are available to work HS games.

Let's face it, to get started, even in football, you must be able to work lower level games at 3:15 PM before ever getting those Friday night varsity games.

Another thing, teachers used to be a big part of the officials community, but that number is dwindling every year and administrators are reluctant to schedule games after 3:15 when schools end around 2:45 or those administrators are reluctant to make arraingments for those to go. Also that fewer PE teachers are now in secondary schools, because the state dropped the PE requirements from four years to two years in HS lost a potential for sports officials.

Granted, there are those officials who have short tempers, but that exists in most every community. Most come to their games to work the game to the best of their ability, but of course, may have the baggage of that day from work or their personal lives. There are schools who do "red line" or "black list" certain officials.

Another issue is that most people watching games are completely unfamiliar with high school rules because they watch college and professional sports. There is also expectations from the CIF-SS that are also to be followed that most people have no clue. Coaches often don't know what is OK in college may not be legal in high school rules.

P Finchamp,

After looking at game film, that you can see in slow motion and replay over and over while the officials have to rule on things seen in real time.

I do agree the smaller schools are used as training for officials before moving up to the Pacific League or even Rio Hondo League.

Speaking of self-monitoring....my understanding is that of all the high school sports out there, only one association provides "feedback cards" to the coaches for feedback on officials' performance. It is the association of swim officials. At each meet they are required to provide a stamped card to each coach, for mailing to the association monitoring committee.
I don't think this occurs in any other sport.

Stang Fan, that was the first time in ten years of covering high school football that I saw a ref throw a flag because of a guys belt. it's beyond nit-picky in a league championship type of game.

J.P..Hit it on the head!Until you get those OLD TIMERS out there goin to keep chasing good officials east of the 605...Keep your head up BRUINS we'll bounce back.

i'll say average sometimes they miss real important calls that can change the outcome of the game and then sometimes they can be too picky and when they need to just let the kids play

JP, Nice post. As Finchamp said in another thread, you're spot on.

For the most part refs do a decent job on the high school level. They certainly aren't as prepared as the officials from the higher levels, but again they do o.k. However, when you see an official change the game with a ridiculous call, you can't help but be pissed off. As Fred mentioned on another post, the white hat in the Muir game called an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a FRICKIN' belt!!!! I've never seen anything like that before and likely never again. Where was the damn warning at least! It's those types of calls that make people wonder if everything is on the up and up.

I've been involved in high school athletics at many levels for 15 years now. There are many problems when it comes to officials and the first comes with the oversight of officials themselves.

There is currently no system in place for monitoring officials. Sure, you get your survey at the end of a season, but nothing ever really happens because they're so desperate for officials they won't fire one. They can show up late, have a poor attitude, get a bug up their you know what for a coach and take it out on the players or flat out be bad and there are no repercussions. I know an assignor who has flat out lied on multiple ejection reports, saying a coach (actually multiple coaches on multiple occassions) dropped an f-bomb on him when it never happened. The CIF liaison is a joke because he's not really a liaison, just an advocate for officials against the "evil" coaches. In speaking with our liaison one time, he was more interested in insulting my coach's coaching ability than solving whatever issue there was with the coach.

When coaches are ejected, they are automatically suspended. No hearing, no appeal, it's automatic. It's inherently problematic when you put that much power and control in a high school official's hands. And yes, it does go to their head and they use it liberally and not always for the intent of "keeping order". There is no process in place for dealing with poor officials, regardless of the canned response you will get from the CIF or the liasons. For an official, all it takes is their word for a coach to be disciplined. For an official, it takes a video camera and hundeds of angry parents (even then it doesn't work...ask around for the video tape of an official who became a liason yelling at a Temple City female asst. softball coach to "Get off his field")

In so far as finding enough officials, I know many guys who work the local Pony and Little Leagues, youth basketball leagues and youth football leagues. None of them have been recruited by the officials and associations to become high school officials. So in so far as not having enough officials, what have they done to fix the problem?

90% of the officials are great guys who do great jobs. But it's the other 10% that ruin their reputation and it's usually that 10% that ends up in charge of the officials, either as an assignor or part of an officiating board of directors. People like to talk about a coach's ego, but wait until you come across one of these umpires/officials.

So forgive me if I don't shed a tear for them. It's their M.O. to place blame for all their problems on anyone but themselves. It's a very solveable "problem", but people watch the act of that 10% of officials I alluded to earlier and think to themselves, "Do I really want to be like that?"

I refereed high school basketball in the Sunset League many years ago and loved it. Refs rarely get their due. They should also be capable of accepting criticism without being vendictive. Football is very different than basketball to referee and I'm afraid it's not top-drawer in the Prep League. Not that it is a requirement but I'd like to think a few of these guys played competitive football at some point in their life.

Every spectator knows the feeling during a game that appears to be over officiated---when a big play occurs everyone scours the field for the yellow flag. No one disputes the procedure calls and obvious to all penalties however the major infractions are far less obvious and are indisputable to the point where you'll be flagged again if you complain.

Upon review of game film it becomes even more insulting when you can't possibly understand what the official saw...the player wasn't blocked in the back or it clearly was not pass interference. RHP has even been penalized for "DISPLAY" because a player raised the ball over his head as he was crossing the goal line for a TD.

Average...

I think that most of the time, the officials are correct in their judgements... but, in order to get off of the fence, I need to see consistency and an absence of favortism... both are rare in the officials this side of the 605. The Citrus region (ESGV) does a much better job at training, recruiting, and monitoring its crews.

I rate the refs as good. They could be in better physical condition, who couldn't that's middle aged.

But they have a tough job and people don't appreciate how difficult it is to make those snap decisions. And most of time they are correct.
If everyone, including coaches and athletes, was perfect U wouldn't need officials.