McCaffrey’s Musings:
By: Tim McCaffrey
Referees and Rivalries… How to Make Our Region Better - Part Two
Last week, we suggested some ideas that would, without question, raise the marketability of our region. This time, we tackle the issue that you suggest I discuss more than any other topic: Referees!
Everyone is asking me, “TMAC, is it me, or has the officiating become worse?” It is not you. It is not the fans who email or the coaches who ask me the same thing. What is causing this problem and why almost across the board has there been a steady decline in capable officiating?
Referees—Backstory
Before I dig in, allow me to give you a touch of my background. I umpired professional baseball for 17 seasons and have been assigned games in numerous conferences including the Big 10 and the American Athletic. My other side job, CloseCallSports, is a place where I teach officiating for free. I am in the developmental umpiring business. I have been asked by a high level collegiate assignor to not give this crucial information that educates the public for free, because it is their belief this prevents people from coming to camps (more on this racket later). It's my feeling that my passion for umpiring and teaching actually humanizes umpires and that, coupled with effective communication, will lead to more people coming into officiating - not less.
Camps
Why is my baseball umpiring related to basketball? Simply put, the structure of each is the same. The assignors run tryout camps (and regular camps) in order to make money. Officials who are on the fringe, or older referees, get pushed out no matter how much they are liked by coaches if they don’t meet the requirements of this legalized extortion. Officials will not go on record and I don’t want to put any in an untenable position, but allow me to give one example. Official A was going to a camp every year and would get a handful of games from an assignor who was attending said camp. Official A skipped a year and when the schedule came out, he had ZERO games. Did the assignor give a warning or communicate? No. This gentlemen is now a high school official. Nowhere will you see, “You must attend a camp to get games,” but almost every assignor utilizes this practice in some way. Also, assignors may not be “running” a camp, per se, however it is not uncommon for an assignor to get an “appearance fees.” Camps gain value when assignors are there - that draws officials, and that is how the circle goes round and round.
He’s an interesting nugget if you ever see officials or assignors running a camp. Not only are they making money off the officials, oftentimes they run camps in conjunction with youth tournaments. Check this out! Imagine running a camp and pocketing all the game fees and getting officials to pay to have the privilege of being in front of the important assignors. I bet you didn’t know that assigning could be such a lucrative venture! The camp structure is great for seeing new people but it has become a fee for participation. I have found the mental health of many young officials in baseball challenged by the rigors of mid-level D1 baseball games. The job in hoops is even more difficult. The scrutiny on young officials is over the top, however, older ones are leaving the industry either by choice or a lack of assignments.
If You’re Grey You Go Away!
Older officials with experience and communication ability are being pushed away for ones that have no credibility. I recently watched an official ruin his reputation in a game, by making calls that were ultimately incorrect and I give him ZERO blame. He should not have been assigned the game. This game was on a Sunday and featured two prominent teams in the region. The easiest days to assign are when the D1 teams are NOT playing. D2 should not be a training ground for officials. I’ve personally witnessed veteran coaches tie young officials into knots verbally. How do young refs get better? It would be easier if veterans were maintained on staff, but that dynamic has been fractured with the NCAA’s desire to go younger. It wasn’t unusual when former CACC and ECC Supervisor of Officials in men’s basketball, Tim McAleer, would have a 20+ year D1 veteran working on an off day. I just don’t see experience and game management anymore. Instead, I see officials who are way over their heads and typically get defensive when challenged because the job is too hard for them.
Overexposure
This is easy. I recently had a women’s basketball coach say they’ve seen the same official six times. We’re about two-thirds through the season and that is simply too much. While I’m being told the pool isn’t that deep, especially on Saturdays, officials the Musings has spoken to suggested there are plenty of very good officials not being utilized. Officials seeing teams too frequently stunts their development and causes coaches nightmares. While I understand gas is expensive, referees can commute with each other in order to cut down on expenses. This is assigning 101. There are so many more problems with the NCAA’s broken officiating system, but for the sake of time, allow me to begin to discuss how to fix it!
National Database
I’m confident this will one day happen but the question is when.Every collegiate men’s official and every women’s official should be in a database for his or her said sport. This database would encompass all referees working for the NCAA. I would run this system as a self-sufficient entity. In other words, I’d ask my refs for a $200 fee to work for the NCAA. Then the assignor works for the league and ONLY the league. Every year we have games called differently in the NCAA tournament because there is very little structure and cohesion to points of emphasis. There is no reason for people who want to work games and who are at the top of their field to not have games to work. This system also should help get rid of the problems that have emerged in some conferences with the chasm between young officials and veterans. Coaches also needing to be able to see this database as transparency is of the utmost importance.
Out of the hundreds of thousands of dollars around, you have money to run camps and pay salaries of national observers. This process needs to be streamlined and assignors need to have their hands out of the cookie jar.
Evaluations
Coaches must do fair evaluations of officials after EVERY game. If you want a surefire way to lose an official, don’t write any reports. Also, this type of attention to detail makes the region better. Everyone must do his or her part. The NCAA and assignors must designate people to evaluate and COMMUNICATE the areas where officials need to improve. I find this area to be infuriating. Ask a basketball official and almost all will tell you their schedule is always subject to change. Some have gone from working 30+ games a season to under five without ANY explanation or solution as to how to get back to that level.
Assignors should be out watching games whenever possible. Also, they should be attending high school meetings in order to develop the next crop and, most importantly, they should be looking for people who DON’T look like them!
The communication as to what the goals are for the job need to be better. And one last thing, assignors should NEVER be bashing officials in other sports. Karma is real!
A Fourth Referee?
This is out there, but then again you’re reading an article from the guy who came up with and developed the idea for a ball-strike challenge system in baseball! I have heard that the game is too slow for older officials. Well then, how about we have a four-ref system in which we have one person on the baseline waiting for the play so as to not get caught out of position on any transition plays. This keeps aging arbiters who can offer leadership and still possess fantastic playcalling ability on the floor and makes everyone better in the process.
I’m not expecting this at our level, but think about it. D2 is being used as a training ground. Coaches lose jobs over missed calls and this season missed calls have been everywhere. Asking for a friend…. What’s a travel? Moving on….
It Takes a Village
You notice I haven’t talked about money, because believe it or not, it is not a huge factor. Not one official I talked to complained about money. Traditionally, the CACC and ECC have been a touch lower than the NE10 when it comes to fees paid to officials in both womens and mens basketball. The money is welcome, but most long-time refs do it for the love. Many younger officials are hoping for an NBA dream. Former JV collegiate official Josh Tiven worked many years learning what to do and what not to do and now he’s in the NBA. One of his frequent floormates and a Musings fav, Brad Chernovetz, was often his partner in the two-person system. They weren’t given high level D2 games, but learned the craft slowly and are still officiating.
Whatever the case there is a major problem with the caliber of officiating in this region and it is up to people in power to fix it!
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This was written by Tim McCaffrey, to write to him, try t.p.mccaffrey@gmail.com, he returns every e-mail!