High School Officials

[Fryowa]

Literally the exact same for us. She went on some tirade about how the coaches need to listen to the players and not "call the same 4 plays all game", but ended it with "but I'm not trying to criticize anyone!!!"

Bullshit. Don't piss in my face and tell me it's raining. She then later got butthurt about one of the coaches writing a vague tweet about how if it seemed so easy everyone would be doing it.

Ahh the old “mom is a better offensive coordinator” bit.

I shit you not, I’ve had kids at the plate fucking apologize to me under their breath for their mom or dad whining about balls/strikes. At that point you’ve completely gone off the deep end as a parent if your kid not only has to deal with the stress of an at bat in front of 300 people and all his friends, let alone your dumb, uninformed ass making the situation worse with your mouth.

 

[HawkGold]

It's not just about parents. Some coach should never coach.

Was coaching a hs soccer game and the cops were called on a coach who grabbed an official and then grabbed me.

My fav was coaching bb for the conference lead. I signaled the kid on first to try and score. He tripped over 3rd and fell. He got up and moved toward home. I couldn't help myself and grabbed the kid and put him on third right in front on a blue and the he team dugout. The home coach went ballistic which he d been a jerk the whole games with the blues.

Blue asked me if I touched the runner. I turned my back on him to hide my expression and said nothing. Play ball1

The home coach really went off. The blue walked away and we scored and won.

Ump revenge

 

[smitharooney]

There a quite a few people in the Sioux City area that would ump but they can’t get to the fields to do noon games which is when the freshman games start for fields without lights . Some of the varsity doubleheaders start at 4pm because of no lights . That’s brutal start times when you can’t get away from your normal day job . I have been reffing basketball for almost 30 years , I’m not a fan of the hoops they make younger guys or rookies who want to get into go through . It’s a pain in the ass to get certified to do high school games . The test for basketball is hard as F plus the clothes and equipment you need can cost a small fortune.

 

[Fryowa]

The real issue isn't parents. It's the pay or lack of it to put up with parents.

Why would you want to pay travel, give up time for less than 150 an hour where you also have to pay self employment tax and do all the paper work. If you want profesionals pay for it. Games have too much on the line.

It’s way less than $150 an hour. In NW Iowa JV games start at 5:30 and varsity finishes around 9:30-9:45. Average pay around here is $115-120 for the night.

As far as income tax, I get where you’re going with it, but literally no HS official that I’ve ever met reports it on their taxes. Except me, of course.

Iowa doesn’t require reporting less than $600 in income, and that’s the point at which schools will send you a 1099. So...officials generally will work up to 5 games in a single location per year.

3 years ago a local school that will remain nameless started a policy of sending 1099s to everyone no matter what. Worked a single freshman game for $55? You’re getting a 1099...Welp, that policy went out the window in a New York minute because their AD got completely (and I mean completely) boycotted come assigning time that winter. Zero officials signed contracts. It took about a week before they got rid of that idea and magically were able to hire people.

All of that is what I’ve been told by other people, btw. I pay any and all applicable state and federal income taxes in the period in which they were earned.

 

[Fryowa]

There a quite a few people in the Sioux City area that would ump but they can’t get to the fields to do noon games which is when the freshman games start for fields without lights . Some of the varsity doubleheaders start at 4pm because of no lights . That’s brutal start times when you can’t get away from your normal day job . I have been reffing basketball for almost 30 years , I’m not a fan of the hoops they make younger guys or rookies who want to get into go through . It’s a pain in the ass to get certified to do high school games . The test for basketball is hard as F plus the clothes and equipment you need can cost a small fortune.

I’ve done quite a few Hinton freshman double header noon starts. What I do for those is take the whole day off (I get more PTO than I can use), do those two freshman games, and my partner and I will hit a JV/V double header on the way back home heading north. Long day but it’s 300 ish dollars plus my PTO pay for about 6 hours of actual work. If you can find a middle school DH in the morning that’s a little extra, but those games suck

Regarding equipment/uniform, if you want to do it right and not scrimp on safety, baseball is about $800 to get into which is some of the problem. It’s really too much to just jump into only to find out you don’t like it.

 

[Fryowa]

Some of the varsity doubleheaders start at 4pm because of no lights . That’s brutal start times when you can’t get away from your normal day job

Trinity Christian in Hull does 4:30 starts because of no lights, I love those games because there’s been times if the JV game goes quick I make it home before 9:00

 

[AIRHAWK]

he was an old dude.

https://wcfcourier.com/news/top_new...cle_6eb133ae-b4ea-5982-a2df-1a72cf83ce46.html

So you remember Joe? Am I lying, his glasses were like coke bottle bottoms? Old old dude

 

[smitharooney]

Trinity Christian in Hull does 4:30 starts because of no lights, I love those games because there’s been times if the JV game goes quick I make it home before 9:00

Have you been following the assignor dispute down in Sioux City ? Sioux City has some great umps that now boycott the city games for the small town games in the surrounding area . These umps are really good too . The local minor league team the Explorers uses these dudes . The umps only asked for an increase of five a game and were turned down . I couldn’t believe they wouldn’t give the umps that money .

 

[Hawknigh]

Which is why I stick to Iowa high school balk as much as possible.

Hee hee hee. Fry the Ump said "high school balk."

 

[Fryowa]

Have you been following the assignor dispute down in Sioux City ? Sioux City has some great umps that now boycott the city games for the small town games in the surrounding area . These umps are really good too . The local minor league team the Explorers uses these dudes . The umps only asked for an increase of five a game and were turned down . I couldn’t believe they wouldn’t give the umps that money .

I haven’t really heard about it but I can’t say I’m surprised.

I don’t know a whole lot of Sioux City umps but I run into them from time to time at clinics and rules meetings etc. The ones I’ve met all seem like pretty good dudes. We are lucky around here in the sense that where I’m located there’s enough work that we don’t have to go that far. Down there it seems pretty hard core and competitive for the decent games. Once in a while you’ll see a couple Sioux City guys work up here on an off night, one thing I’ve noticed is that they tend to stick with the same partner, I wish I had that opportunity.

Arguing five bucks is definitely bullshit. If a 4A school has say, 30 games, that’s roughly 15 home games and $150 extra. Tack on a few sub-varsity games just to be fair and you’re looking at maybe $200 extra for a season. And that’s including both umpires.

 

[Fryowa]

Hee hee hee. Fry the Ump said "high school balk."

Well shit. I’m not fixing it. That would be cheating.

 

[westender]

So you remember Joe? Am I lying, his glasses were like coke bottle bottoms? Old old dude

Yes. I do remember him. He was a classic and took no shit for a small fella.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

For such a tiny little town, Aurelia has beautiful baseball and softball facilities. I don’t know who does their grounds keeping but goddamn. There are colleges that don’t play on as nice of fields.

Yes it is. Their baseball field is so so so nice. I played against them growing up. It's like a minor league baseball field. I loved going there to play. Been that way a long time now they take pride in it.

 

[westender]

So as fans we see a ref or refs make a bad call and assume maybe they knew after they called it that it was a terrible call, so as fans we subsequently see a "make-up call" whereby we believe they called this subsequent penalty or call to make up for the terrible one they made previously. Is this a real thing for those that are officiating?

@Fryowa

 

[HawkGold]

So as fans we see a ref or refs make a bad call and assume maybe they knew after they called it that it was a terrible call, so as fans we subsequently see a "make-up call" whereby we believe they called this subsequent penalty or call to make up for the terrible one they made previously. Is this a real thing for those that are officiating?

@Fryowa

That is a tough question. The better angle is do they let little things go or do they call little things? Depends on the coach s, fans, or players involved. We are all human A fight with the wife earlier.....

 

[Fryowa]

So as fans we see a ref or refs make a bad call and assume maybe they knew after they called it that it was a terrible call, so as fans we subsequently see a "make-up call" whereby we believe they called this subsequent penalty or call to make up for the terrible one they made previously. Is this a real thing for those that are officiating?

@Fryowa

I can’t speak for all officials out there because every vocation has its share of shitty people who aren’t good at it...

But among those who take it seriously at all, make up calls aren’t a thing. It’s a point of pride to be 100% impartial, and if you’re in the midst of veteran guys and start suggesting that you might have leaned one way or another to try and compensate for a missed call you’re gonna get excoriated right away. Part of the reason is that it’s against everything we’re trying to do out there, but the bigger part is that it undermines everyone else. If a coach or fan sees you trying to tip the scales it makes every single official look like shit and we don’t want that.

One thing I think bears mentioning is that even though it looks pretty easy, officiating at the HS level and above is pretty tough, and the type of person who’d take the laziness route of doing a shitty job like that typically isn’t someone who has the ability to keep working for very long. The shitbirds have a way of weeding themselves out.

But to answer your question, no it’s not a thing. I’m an open and honest enough guy to tell you if it was.

 

[Fryowa]

The better angle is do they let little things go or do they call little things?

The question is more about consistency. Every umpire on the planet has a different strike zone. Every referee has a different mental picture of holding. Every basketball ref has a different mental definition of a block/charge because we’re humans. Even though all of those things have a concrete definition in the rules.

Consistency between teams and from game to game is what you have to shoot for, and it’s when a coach/fan has a different interpretation of the rules that you get accused of not being very good at your job or “makeup calls.” In almost 100% of the cases, the complainer has never worked a game themselves and couldn’t pass a rules test (they are very difficult actually), which is where I find it laughable. Unless you’ve done it yourself, keep the conspiracy theory or job performance reviews under your hat.

 

[99topdawg]

I can’t speak for all officials out there because every vocation has its share of shitty people who aren’t good at it...

But among those who take it seriously at all, make up calls aren’t a thing. It’s a point of pride to be 100% impartial, and if you’re in the midst of veteran guys and start suggesting that you might have leaned one way or another to try and compensate for a missed call you’re gonna get excoriated right away. Part of the reason is that it’s against everything we’re trying to do out there, but the bigger part is that it undermines everyone else. If a coach or fan sees you trying to tip the scales it makes every single official look like shit and we don’t want that.

One thing I think bears mentioning is that even though it looks pretty easy, officiating at the HS level and above is pretty tough, and the type of person who’d take the laziness route of doing a shitty job like that typically isn’t someone who has the ability to keep working for very long. The shitbirds have a way of weeding themselves out.

But to answer your question, no it’s not a thing. I’m an open and honest enough guy to tell you if it was.

As a coach, I can tell you that, if a bad call doesn't go my way, I don't want a make-up call. One wrong call > Two wrong calls.

 

[99topdawg]

The question is more about consistency. Every umpire on the planet has a different strike zone. Every referee has a different mental picture of holding. Every basketball ref has a different mental definition of a block/charge because we’re humans. Even though all of those things have a concrete definition in the rules.

Consistency between teams and from game to game is what you have to shoot for, and it’s when a coach/fan has a different interpretation of the rules that you get accused of not being very good at your job or “makeup calls.” In almost 100% of the cases, the complainer has never worked a game themselves and couldn’t pass a rules test (they are very difficult actually), which is where I find it laughable. Unless you’ve done it yourself, keep the conspiracy theory or job performance reviews under your hat.

Totally agree about the different strike zones for different umpires and I'm perfectly fine with it, as are most coaches, if it's consistent. That makes it easy for everyone involved. Coaches know it. Players know it. BUT, any coach will tell you that a sure sign of an insecure umpire is when they tell you during the pregame conference where THEIR strike zone is. It's in the rule book where the strike zone is, even if you call it a bit differently. If you give a few inches off the black (or not), we'll figure it out. If you call ankles to armpits we'll figure it out. The only exception would be if a plate is so wide that the outside pitch is unhittable. Had that in a district final against a flame-thrower who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn...but could hit the guy's corner. Luckily our guy could hit the corner, too.

 

[99topdawg]

The question is more about consistency. Every umpire on the planet has a different strike zone. Every referee has a different mental picture of holding. Every basketball ref has a different mental definition of a block/charge because we’re humans. Even though all of those things have a concrete definition in the rules.

Consistency between teams and from game to game is what you have to shoot for, and it’s when a coach/fan has a different interpretation of the rules that you get accused of not being very good at your job or “makeup calls.” In almost 100% of the cases, the complainer has never worked a game themselves and couldn’t pass a rules test (they are very difficult actually), which is where I find it laughable. Unless you’ve done it yourself, keep the conspiracy theory or job performance reviews under your hat.

I may be wrong in saying this, but if you have a bang-bang play at 1st, for example, I've always said that an umpire wouldn't be able to think about what call he needs to make to give a make-up call. It's second nature and they call it. Period. It's fun to be on the same page with umpires and talk with them between innings about stupid parents.

Had a kid last year try to check his swing and fouled it back to the screen and the umpire didn't make a call (didn't need to, obviously). The pitcher's dad yelled, "He went! Ask your partner! C'mon!"