These guys have already hit the nail on the head.
If you want to get more games than you are currently getting, or "better" games than you are currently getting there are a few things you can do.
- Get chapter bylaws passed that will make it more "equitable"
- Get chapter bylaws passed that will make others "ineligible"
- Get better
In regards to #1, it really depends on the crew, you could have a group of guys in their 40's they all run 5K's daily, are in great shape, etc... Theoretically they could be just as fresh on day 3 as day 1, but that group would be the exception and not the rule. So "limiting" to two games per week probably wouldn't be a horrendous idea plus I would guess that the majority aren't doing 3 games per week and that would be something that would more easily pass through the chapter.
As far as 2 goes, good luck with that, we have groups within our chapter that have sought to make meetings almost mandatory for each week with no excused absences to be playoff "eligible". This group is all retired and none of them travel for work or have kids in activities, etc. They see their twilight years coming rapidly and they want to make sure that the younger generation is kept in their place and they can dominate what playoffs we get because they will be the only ones that can adhere to their own rules for "eligibility". It isn't flying, but that doesn't mean that they aren't continuing to push their agenda.
#3. Officials, as a group, are typically more conceited in their own ability than many would like to admit, you have to be somewhat to do what we do, but many times the biggest obstacles are found when we look directly in the mirror. The biggest obstacle could be staring right back at you.
like was said by texref, picking your buddies to be on your crew isn't always a good thing, find the best officials available and work with them sometimes they are one and the same, if you all have common goals in officiating. Be with a group that is good and wants to be better. Even if you only get 4 games a season, knock those four games out and then instead of bitching about what you didn't get, be thankful for what you got, and work to get more.
you have a better chance walking across I-35 in austin at rush hour and not getting hit than you do changing coaches minds and perceptions after they have formed. They are enigmas wrapped in riddles, they talk, as much or more than officials do about crews, they are suspicious, they are superstitious, and they are creatures of habit.
if you do a bang up job in your games that you have, the coaches talk, the coaches watch film of other teams, if your crew nitpicks the game to death and you have 20-30 fouls per game, guess what, not many coaches are going to pick you. Every once in a while everyone will have that sort of game, but make those rare, good crews head that sort of night off early and get control of the game. Yeah you may know the rules, but unless things are totally out of hand, and again, we are many times the primary reason games get to that point. Be more willing to throw that UNS for a late hit than you are that marginal hold that had no impact on the play.
The only person that matters on the crew is the White Hat, when it comes to selections. Unless a coach has had a major run in with a certain official, you could mix and match all of the other officials and the coach would still pick the same "crew". Why? Ever had a coach ask "Hey, I don't care about the rest of the crew, as long as Larry is the umpire" However, coaches know that WH is the "head coach" on the crew and they are going to have "like-minded" guys calling with them. Is that fair, no, but nothing is.
Think of the crew as staff at a restaurant, the R is the manager, he walks around, looks like he is busy, occasionally comes over to make an appearance, but really doesn't do a whole lot. The most important guys for keeping things going smoothly are H and L, the waitstaff, if they can keep the customers happy, the whole evening will be productive. The busboy is of course the U, they handle all the dirty work, clean up the crap, are under appreciated and made fun of, but without them the trash piles up and gets out of control, if they keep the trash clean everything runs smoothly. The B, well, of course they are the hostesses, buzzing around looking busy but only really make any significant decisions a few times during the evening, but they stand there and look pretty, and tell people how long they have to wait before they can do anything.
R's and B's are quite similar, however, no one calls and talks to the hostess if they have a problem, they call the manager and depending on how the manager handles any difficult situations, and how the whole group works together, will determine if the customers come back to that restaurant again and if they tell their friends how good a particular restaurant may be.
