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Official Treatment
March 7, 2014
A book I quoted in this space three times last November – How: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything by Dov Seidman – has me thinking about sports officiating.
One premise of the book is that the Internet era has made the world so transparent and connected that there is no such thing anymore as “private” behavior or a “minor” mistake. Everything can become a public matter – instantly. Anything can become a major problem – overnight. Worldwide.
So, when our local real estate agent, who officiates junior varsity basketball, misses a call that an invested spectator captures with his or her smart phone camera, and sends to his or her relatives and a local media outlet that night, there is no limit to where that video could appear by the next morning.
And while major college and professional officials may now receive four-figure fees to work under those conditions, officials at the junior high/middle school and high school levels – sometimes working for little more than gas money - wonder if it’s worth the hassle.
There are many obstacles to recruiting and retaining officials for school sports, including poor business practices by assigners and bad sportsmanship by coaches and spectators; but a significant factor not to be overlooked is the adverse potential of immediate worldwide criticism for a call that had to be made in the blink of an eye.
The human factor of sports is now subject to inhuman expectations. In an enterprise that strives for fairness, it appears that it’s the official who is being treated least fairly.
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Be the Referee: Switching Sides
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
September 6, 2022
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Switching Sides - Listen
In volleyball, a rules modification that came about during COVID has been instated as a permanent change - with overwhelming support from coaches and officials.
Previously, teams would switch sides after each set, sometimes creating a traffic jam as players and coaches move benches from side to side. Unless there is a clear competitive advantage, there is no switching now. Coaches like having a dedicated home bench and the improved pace of the match.
Things that would necessitate teams switching would be less serving room on one end of the court, a window on one side with the sun shining in, or an overhead obstruction on one end.
It’s up to the official to determine if an advantage exists and if teams will switch at the end of each set – or stay on the same side for the entirety of the match.
Previous Editions:
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change - Listen