refereeing trouble

[Canada_Lax]

ok. i just learned today that we have 11 new officials this year in our organization. this means that my time reffing will be cut out because all the referees need to get in some games this year. i was really looking forward to it as well to make some money this summer, and i am more experienced than all of them. i am a level 2, they are first year level ones. so now im not going to get as many games. i was also offered to do timekeeping, but im not sure if that will work out, and iv also tried other organizations, but none of them need referees.


what should i do or say??

[LaxRef]

ok. i just learned today that we have 11 new officials this year in our organization. this means that my time reffing will be cut out because all the referees need to get in some games this year. i was really looking forward to it as well to make some money this summer, and i am more experienced than all of them. i am a level 2, they are first year level ones. so now im not going to get as many games. i was also offered to do timekeeping, but im not sure if that will work out, and iv also tried other organizations, but none of them need referees.


what should i do or say??

Well, it's unclear. While it's great to have an influx of new officials, the experienced guys should still get to work. The best solution—and this may not apply where you are, but it's the best thing to do when you're in the rare situation of having too many officials—is to have the new guys cut their teeth on lower-level youth games and keep the more experienced guys at higher levels.

We are often forced to use first-year guys on HS varsity games just to get the games covered, so your situation is unfamiliar to me.

[old geezer]

Oh for the luxury of having too many officials. When I look to ref no more than 2 games a week, I sometimes find myself officiating 5-6 games a week. This is my 32nd year of officiating and I can remember the times when I couldn't get enough games, now I have too many.

But I wouldn't worry about the cut in the number of games as some of the officials won't pan out. You may not work as many games as usual at the start of the season, but as the summer wears on and the officials have other things to do, you will probably end up with almost as many games as you want.

[3rdPersonPlural]

Y'all can move down here and you'll work your feet off. :wow:

On a more serious note, two newby's in a two man mechanic is a recipe for disaster. Your assigner should make sure that you or another experienced official is at every game to train/oversee the new guys. This may mean as much work as you want....

[RockStar]

ok. i just learned today that we have 11 new officials this year in our organization. this means that my time reffing will be cut out because all the referees need to get in some games this year. i was really looking forward to it as well to make some money this summer, and i am more experienced than all of them. i am a level 2, they are first year level ones. so now im not going to get as many games. i was also offered to do timekeeping, but im not sure if that will work out, and iv also tried other organizations, but none of them need referees.
what should i do or say??

I can't imagine any league convenor being stupid enough to put two first-year level 1s onto any age group above novice.

They'll need to pair someone like you up with the newbs, so you should get plenty of assignments with your experience.

As for timekeeping - it's dead simple, pays almost the same as reffing (in the last association I worked for, anyway), and does not require that you assume any liability or responsibility.......do as much of that as they'll allow!

[LaxRef]

I can't imagine any league convenor being stupid enough to put two first-year level 1s onto any age group above novice.

We had an assigner who did that. Both guys quit after that game. When I was assigning, I'd tell the league they had to postpone a game before I'd put an R on the game who wasn't ready.

In most cases, a guy is not going to be ready to be the R on a game until his third year. There are exceptions, the most obvious being people with prior officiating experience in another sport, playing experience, or both. Some guys will take longer than 3 years.

Best new official I've ever seen was a former DI goalie. I worked with him his first game ever, and he was like a polished 4th or 5th year guy. I kept him as the U for his most of his first season just so he could be sure he could handle everything, but I think I had him as the R on some games by the end of the season.

[KnightsLAXDad]

I can't imagine any league convenor being stupid enough to put two first-year level 1s onto any age group above novice.

They'll need to pair someone like you up with the newbs, so you should get plenty of assignments with your experience.




It's an unfortunate fact of life around here. Poor novice and tyke kids get the crap knocked out of them because newb refs won't call penalties. Then the coaches and parents get on them for blowing calls and then they quit. It a vicious circle, because there aren't enough older guys to mentor.

[Woodenstick]

We had an assigner who did that. Both guys quit after that game. When I was assigning, I'd tell the league they had to postpone a game before I'd put an R on the game who wasn't ready.

In most cases, a guy is not going to be ready to be the R on a game until his third year. There are exceptions, the most obvious being people with prior officiating experience in another sport, playing experience, or both. Some guys will take longer than 3 years.

Best new official I've ever seen was a former DI goalie. I worked with him his first game ever, and he was like a polished 4th or 5th year guy. I kept him as the U for his most of his first season just so he could be sure he could handle everything, but I think I had him as the R on some games by the end of the season.

Personally, I have found that playing experience is more valuable than reffing experience. Refs transferring from other sports who haven't played or at least watched a lot of lax take a longer time to get the hang of it.

When you talk about keeping even excellent 1st years as umpires for a whole season, what level games is that for? I was doing solo JV and freshman games after 2 games with a partner. I guess my district is a little short-handed, so they tend to rush you into action.

[LaxRef]

It's an unfortunate fact of life around here. Poor novice and tyke kids get the crap knocked out of them because newb refs won't call penalties. Then the coaches and parents get on them for blowing calls and then they quit. It a vicious circle, because there aren't enough older guys to mentor.

This is often the result of overzealous expansion. You can't add teams unless you first make sure that you have the coaches, officials, and facilities to handle them.

We've had some really good luck around here using HS players to officiate youth games. I haven't heard what kind of job they're doing, but I haven't heard any complaining, either, and hopefully the big payoff comes when they're out of school and will be ready to start doing Varsity games.

[KnightsLAXDad]

This is often the result of overzealous expansion. You can't add teams unless you first make sure that you have the coaches, officials, and facilities to handle them.


Again, we have the opposite problem, starting with underzealous expansion, despite a growing community. Our association has had stagnant or even slightly declining enrollment even though our community is growing steadily. For various reasons we end up losing about the same number from the top end of the age group (14,15,16) as we get coming in from the bottom. Seeing as how you have to be 12 (I think) to ref, that doesn't leave a lot of time to gain experience and pass it on to new ones, before moving on. Most of those who played don't come back to the game in any capacity, or 15-20yrs later when they have their own kids. It's a very strange dynamic.

We could do a lot of things with some expansion and almost think we could handle the void of coaches and officials. We just need to get more kids involved.

[laxfan25]

WE have had an explosion of MS teams in my area. I did a training class for new refs, becuae there were some adults that said they wanted to start. The class ended up being 10 HS kids (frosh + sophs) that are also playing. Of the 10 probably 3 will follow through (including my son). He has his first 4 games this weekend and will pocket $160 - not bad for a HS freshman! The key is to keep them engaged, so as they get older they can move up to HS and then higher levels. I'm trying to develop a farm system of sorts for refs, because there is a definite need to increase the numbers!

[spenny]

We've had some really good luck around here using HS players to officiate youth games. I haven't heard what kind of job they're doing, but I haven't heard any complaining, either, and hopefully the big payoff comes when they're out of school and will be ready to start doing Varsity games.

snakeeyes is doing a great job down here with our youth games. :lol:

seriously, ive had a number of HS kids reffing my youth games, and they have all done fine. i try to encourage it with my former players.

[RockStar]

.........We just need to get more kids involved.

If I'm not mistaken, You have a Jr A team, and two Jr. B teams near your centre. Should maybe try to recruit from this group to do the houseleague and younger rep teams' games.

It's actually not too tough to sell the reffing gig to older teens.......Good hours, you earn your money on a lacrosse floor, and there's far more dignity and far better pay than your typical teenage McJob.

[blindbill]

The best way to keep new officials engaged AND to put their training into overdrive is to introduce them to this forum!!!

[laxfan25]

The best way to keep new officials engaged AND to put their training into overdrive is to introduce them to this forum!!!
Are you kidding?? With the minutiae we cover on here, their heads will be spinning - saying "there's no way I can ever know all that!" :chuckle:

[KnightsLAXDad]

If I'm not mistaken, You have a Jr A team, and two Jr. B teams near your centre. Should maybe try to recruit from this group to do the houseleague and younger rep teams' games.

It's actually not too tough to sell the reffing gig to older teens.......Good hours, you earn your money on a lacrosse floor, and there's far more dignity and far better pay than your typical teenage McJob.

You would think, and they may be at the older levels, but I don't get much of a chance to see anything above PeeWee. I wouldn't expect the Jr's to have much time. A lot of them, especially the A's are from out of town (Cornwall, Akwesasne, Brockville etc). The two minor clubs are sufficiently far apart that it's not really worth the drive from one end of town to the other for $20, and we don't necessarily have the best record on cooperating either. What you don't see is many adults or 17-19 year olds doing it. I guess they do find better McJobs, or school, or friends, or GF's etc.

[blindbill]

Better their heads be spinning here (like mine does) than with 5,000 rabid, opiniated fans staring at them standing all alone at midfield, deciding exactly what to call!!

[laxfan25]

You get much bigger crowds at your games than we do! Seriously though, in my classes I always recommend this forum, and also bring it up to my fellow refs as THE premium web site for lacrosse officials. While a lot of credit is due LaxRef for making it so - it is the contributions of the community that make this such a must-visit place (as I notice myself climbing towards the 900 post mark - get a life!).