MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[John Gleich]

I suppose... but they get evaluations and they get.... well, I'm not going to say it's "real game experience" because you simply can't simulate an angry mob, er, crowd screaming at you and insulting your manhood, but they get experience officiating high school kids, playing at high school tempo, which is another thing you can't simulate or learn just from watching from the stands.

[True Basketball Fan]

Some supervisors are obviously better than others with regards to objectivity.  But it's a hard cycle to break when they themselves were allowed in the business through their buddies' recommendations.  It's only natural to return the favor.  Sounds like the coaching professsion, doesn't it?

Nevertheless, the WIAC has quality officials.  I know it has to be a goal for many trying to move into college.  I would view making it to the WIAC as a great accomplishment, as I'm sure the ones that are there do.

[badgerwarhawk]

Though it's probably outdated now I know the WIAC basketball officials were getting $125 per game a couple years ago.  I think they also get a mileage reimbursement. 

There are good ones and there are ones that you wonder how they get rehired.  It's a tough job though and, though I am a WIAA certified official, I have absolutely no desire to move into the college game.  Way too much hassle, travel and other nonsense.

[laxeagles1]

Though it's probably outdated now I know the WIAC basketball officials were getting $125 per game a couple years ago.  I think they also get a mileage reimbursement. 

There are good ones and there are ones that you wonder how they get rehired.  It's a tough job though and, though I am a WIAA certified official, I have absolutely no desire to move into the college game.  Way too much hassle, travel and other nonsense.

Officiating is by far the hardest part of being involved in basketball.  I played 8 years through high school, coached a 'city aau' team at a middle school level, but nothing compares to reffing..........

If half those individuals that piss and moan knew the difficulty of reffing they wouldn't complain as much.  However, I can say i am less critical of officials since i have reffed, yet I am more critical on consistency throughout a game than missed calls(if that makes sense)

[Mr. Ypsi]

lax,

As a soccer coach and ref, I fully agree with you - inconsistency is a far worse sin than the occasional blown call - not even officials are perfect (though, alas, some think they are!).

Though SOME blown calls are damn near inexcusable - we lost a break-away opportunity last week on an offsides call when there were four, count 'em FOUR, defenders at least 5 yards beyond our striker but the three who were not the goalie were all across the field and could not have stopped the shot!  I can understand an AR overlooking 1 defender not involved in the play, but THREE?!

[True Basketball Fan]

Even if the salary for a game is $125 to $150, figure in the time spent on the road (some instances 2-3 maybe 4 hours each way) and the pay is definitely not a motivating factor.  Most of them love the game, and it's the closest thing to being involved in basketball outside of coaching and playing.

[Greek Tragedy]

Mr. Ypsi,

Apparently reffing was the cause of Point's recent loss to Oshkosh in a women's WIAC soccer game.  The ref told several players that he had to be in Oshkosh to ref another game, so with minimal time left in the 0-0 game, he called a penalty kick against Point, for an apparent foul in the box.  Even the Oshkosh coach agreed that the ref blew it.  Oshkosh converted and eventually won 1-0.  Our goalie blew her top and got red carded.  Our backup keeper for the next game?  None other than NCAA Division III National Player of the year, IN BASKETBALL, Amanda Nechuta! 

Refs make mistakes and as you guys have said, we'd all rather have them be consistent and miss a couple of calls here and there, than to have them just clueless out there.

I was a certified FIFA ref for over 5 years in my earlier days and there's more pressure on us than there is the players!  At least it seemed like it.   

[titan2000]

lax,

As a soccer coach and ref, I fully agree with you - inconsistency is a far worse sin than the occasional blown call - not even officials are perfect (though, alas, some think they are!).

Though SOME blown calls are damn near inexcusable - we lost a break-away opportunity last week on an offsides call when there were four, count 'em FOUR, defenders at least 5 yards beyond our striker but the three who were not the goalie were all across the field and could not have stopped the shot!  I can understand an AR overlooking 1 defender not involved in the play, but THREE?!

SOCCER ISN'T A SPORT, IS IT?

[fredfalcon]

From sports report out of New Zealand: Rich Melzer gets 24 pts., 6 rbds. in 109-102 NZ Breakers win. Brant Bailey hits go-ahead 3 pointer late in game, ends w/10 pts. Article includes photo of Melzer scoring on a dunk resulting from an "intercept from halfway." Breakers are 2-6 so far.

Bailey has been averaging more pts. per game than Melzer up to this point, but I cant get the exact figures because they dont include any site w/stats of Breakers.

Try www.stuff.nz.co as a URL if you're interested.

[laxeagles1]

lax,

As a soccer coach and ref, I fully agree with you - inconsistency is a far worse sin than the occasional blown call - not even officials are perfect (though, alas, some think they are!).

Though SOME blown calls are damn near inexcusable - we lost a break-away opportunity last week on an offsides call when there were four, count 'em FOUR, defenders at least 5 yards beyond our striker but the three who were not the goalie were all across the field and could not have stopped the shot!  I can understand an AR overlooking 1 defender not involved in the play, but THREE?!

agreed I can remember the two times playing bball or being associated with basketball where a blown call most us the game.  One was a 3 on 3 basketball tourney so that didn't matter as much, however the last one was for our HS team to go to sectionals.  It was an out of character call for the official and a year later he admitted to me he blew the call(the guy still calls games at WIAA state and rightfully so).  But the fact is they are human it's just that there are times where obvious blown calls make less of a difference and times where they make all the difference in the world.................I know soccer well and that is inexcusable as it obviously made all the difference in the world

[badgerwarhawk]

Generally a blown call won't kill a team if they don't make numerous additional mistakes, turnovers for instance, during the course of the a game.

I always have a problem when someone feels that one single call even a blown one, at any point, in a game is the difference in the game because I can watch film of any game and find other incidences in which a team costs itself points with poor play.  How do you know you didn't lose the game by traveling in the first half?  If you've done your own job, the ref missing his isn't going to matter. 

Not that I don't get frustrated by them but I've just learned that they aren't what makes you lose 999 out of 1000 times.   JMO

[laxeagles1]

warhawk,

I completely, 100% agree with you.  I played literally hundreds of games of basketball in my life (5th grade through hs and a summer league tourney team which had a tournament every weekend for 2-3 months), numerous gus mackers, and those are the only two i believe 'cost us the game' at the end.   I agree there are issues throughout a game, yet once in a great great while a ref's call does influence the game and decide the final outcome. 

Anyone not agreeing with this might wanna revisit the phantom foul committed by ervin johnson on AI in the 6th game of the playoffs the year the sixers went to the finals.  This call cost the bucks the lead with 30 seconds left and the game(when Dog missed a 15 ft jumper).  The clean block by Ej would have resulted in the bucks possession to win the game.  I reference very few calls as deciding a game but my memory doesn't lie on the ones taht have decided a game

[badgerwarhawk]

warhawk,

 I agree there are issues throughout a game, yet once in a great great while a ref's call does influence the game and decide the final outcome. 

Very few things are absolute.   That's why I say 999 out of 1000. 

[laxeagles1]

is anyone as jacked about there wiac team this year as I am with Lacrosse's!  I am not making any predictions but I see a place in which this team should finish in the conference and if they don't I will be thoroughly disappointed.  It's time to start asking off for games!

[True Basketball Fan]

This is definitely a good year for LAX to make a move.  However, we all know it will most likely be short-lived, as they will return to the depths when Platteville, Point, EC, Stout, Whitewater come back stronger in after this season.