When it comes to refs for youth sports, you're usually getting what you pay for. Often kids b/c they're making about $15 per game (basketball, bit more for baseball, $20-25), with very limited training--if any.

Given this fact, it's always a mystery to me why people get upset about youth league officiating. Realize it's, largely, a problem from the jump.

Makes more sense to get upset with the source, the league itself.

I rarely got upset because it's to be expected. The refs in that league were college kids by and large. To not know that players can move along the baseline after a made basket was mind-numbing.

I hear you, but this just shows the level of training and selection that go into making the decision to hire an official. Here's an example of the screening process:

"We need a ref for Sat., 10:00 AM. You interested?"

"How much?"

"$17, games last only 1 hour."

"I'll be there." The end.

I know, b/c I officiated as a way of working my way through college. Now, I know a little bit about basketball, so any given league I worked for got "lucky." But, it certainly wasn't b/c they looked for qualified people. They just wanted bodies.

You're probably the ****er that called a lane violation on me for having 1 foot over the 3 point line on a guy's FT in a rec league game one time.

uh.......guessing he should have?...

The goal should always be to hit the kids over the head with the rule book.

If three of the little ****ers didn't cry by the time I left the court, I considered it a poor effort on my part.

It's all about the win111113111

My son plays in an 8 year old league... and the refs call EVERYTHING... it's good, but was surprising in the first game. Some of the kids have done this for 2 seasons, a few were new. It was amazing to sit through the first 2 games as I believe the scores were 10-8 and 8-6 with about 337 whistles blown for various things. The kids were so confused, but the thing I liked was the refs took time with each whistle to quickly explain what happened.

Yesterday was game #6 and while there are still a lot of whistles, the games run smooth and the kids are a hell of a lot smarter now about how to play.

An open letter to anyone who bitches about girl's basketball officiating:

Shut the f*** up.
That is all.

6,7,8th grade.

Most of the girls are going to be trying out for their 8th grade teams next year, so they need to have calls against them when they make mistakes. I've got a 7th grader and a 6th grader on the team. My oldest plays a 3/4 and fills in at 5 when needed. My youngest plays the 1 & 2.

The one 8th grader would've made her schools team if it wasn't for her attititude.

No. You're probably one of the punks that calls the game.

I guess you could technically call it a violation. But standing still talking to another player behind the line with one foot over the line on the first of two shots is probably not in the spirit of rec leagues. We'll just say me and that ref disagreed on that call.

Reminds me of our Intramural Championship softball game. We hadn't lost all year, but 2 of our guys couldn't make it to this game so we were down by 1 in the last inning. With 2 outs one of our guys beat out a throw big time but was called for the final out. He went absolutely crazy and just ran at the ump yelling the entire time. He got into his face and more or less disagreed with the call.

The ump not knowing what to do just yelled back "I'M NOT PAID ENOUGH TO MAKE THAT CALL!"

Our entire team bust up laughing and that was the end of it.

You lost the game, didn't you?...:shake:

I haven't got a clue.

I'm a youth sports veteran here, have a 15 year old and a 12 year old who play about everything between them.

My experience is that there is nothing on the earth so unreasonable biased, and just plain blind to reality as a sports parent, so I figure these threads are about 95% one-sided horseshit every time.