Association Schedule open to general membership?

[WCFB]

In our association, we are currently discussing whether or not the general members of the association should have access to the published master schedule and also be able to see who is working each game.

My question is, do your associations allow the general members to view the master schedule and see who is working the assigned games?

Also, if you guys would not mind adding any additional comments as to why or why not you think it is a good idea to make the master schedule available to everyone or not.

Thanks

[maven]

We don't work that way. Each league has an assignor, and each assignor hires his own crews for his league's games. The association is not involved in assigning and has no calendar.

[TxSkyBolt]

Our master schedule is open for all to see.  I see no down side to that...no secrets makes a chapter run well.

[Roscoe]

My association also allows everyone to see the master schedule. It's not an issue at all.

[HLinNC]

Master schedule is accessed via The Arbiter.  I guess the booking agent could shut off access if he desired.

[TampaSteve]

I'm on the side of the fence that the schedule is for all to see. 
What is there to seemingly hide?

[bama_stripes]

Our master schedule is open for all to see.  I see no down side to that...no secrets makes a chapter run well.

Ditto and ditto.

[Tom.OH]

We don't work that way. Each league has an assignor, and each assignor hires his own crews for his league's games. The association is not involved in assigning and has no calendar.

That is how we do our varsity games also.
Sub v games are assigned by the Arbiter Sports program.

[VALJ]

Master schedule is accessed via The Arbiter.  I guess the booking agent could shut off access if he desired.

Ditto.  Our commish assigns varsity, and our assistant commish assigns sub-v.  All available to all through Arbiter.

[NorCalMike]

We are assigned by an assignor using arbiter. Our association has minimal control over assignments (level of play only). The master schedule is not published. I am not sure why not.

[AFSST]

Our association allows us to see master schedule and slots.  An association north of us allows officials to self-publish.

[WCFB]

Thank you for the responses thus far.

Currently, we have the master schedule blocked because in the recent past it started to become an issue for our assigner and executive board. Certain members, who spoiled it for the rest of the group, started "bean counting" and requesting games. In addition, those members also started complaining about who "should" be working the "big" games. In an attempt to stop the nagging officials from whining, we voted to block access to view the slots on the master schedule. So far, it has made things a lot easier.

[Dan371]

In the UK we can see the 'Master Schedule', see who is in what positions on what games etc.

[Atlanta Blue]

Thank you for the responses thus far.

Currently, we have the master schedule blocked because in the recent past it started to become an issue for our assigner and executive board. Certain members, who spoiled it for the rest of the group, started "bean counting" and requesting games. In addition, those members also started complaining about who "should" be working the "big" games. In an attempt to stop the nagging officials from whining, we voted to block access to view the slots on the master schedule. So far, it has made things a lot easier.

Aren't they going to find out anyway?  Most associations are a meritocracy, not a democracy.  You get big games or more games because you earn them, not to keep everything equal.

Now, if you are giving out big games on cronyism or something other than merit, then sure, you had better hide things as much as you can.  But if you are doing things based solely on merit, then transparency is the best thing to do.

I look at from a coaching standpoint: we post the depth chart EVERY DAY.  Players can see who is ahead of them, and changes that happen week to week or even day to day.  Do some kids think they're better than the person in front of them?  I'm sure they do, but there's only one choice to make: work harder to get better, and show it on the practice field, or get out.

Does anyone on the top of the list ever get complacent and stop working hard because they made it to the top?  If they do, they aren't going to last long.

I would tell the whining officials the same thing: prove you are better and deserve the big games, or get out.  Show higher test scores.  Show higher ratings from evaluators and coaches.  Show not just meeting attendance, but meeting leadership.  Funny how the guys that work to do and get these things done are the ones that are getting the big games.

Or should be!  Look at your own system.  If the guys doing all of the above are not getting the big games, if they are going to the guys how have "been there the longest" just based on seniority, then you do have a problem, and you had better hide as much as you can.

[HLinNC]

Currently, we have the master schedule blocked because in the recent past it started to become an issue for our assigner and executive board. Certain members, who spoiled it for the rest of the group, started "bean counting" and requesting games. In addition, those members also started complaining about who "should" be working the "big" games.

I agree with most of what AB said.  However, your board and assigner need to "grow a set" to go along with it.  Blocking access to the schedule is a temporary fix to a situation that is not uncommon in officiating.  Officials are going to find out who works what games unless you are just so large an organization that its impossible to keep up with.

[SouthGARef]

Aren't they going to find out anyway?  Most associations are a meritocracy, not a democracy.  You get big games or more games because you earn them, not to keep everything equal.

Now, if you are giving out big games on cronyism or something other than merit, then sure, you had better hide things as much as you can.  But if you are doing things based solely on merit, then transparency is the best thing to do.

I look at from a coaching standpoint: we post the depth chart EVERY DAY.  Players can see who is ahead of them, and changes that happen week to week or even day to day.  Do some kids think they're better than the person in front of them?  I'm sure they do, but there's only one choice to make: work harder to get better, and show it on the practice field, or get out.

Does anyone on the top of the list ever get complacent and stop working hard because they made it to the top?  If they do, they aren't going to last long.

I would tell the whining officials the same thing: prove you are better and deserve the big games, or get out.  Show higher test scores.  Show higher ratings from evaluators and coaches.  Show not just meeting attendance, but meeting leadership.  Funny how the guys that work to do and get these things done are the ones that are getting the big games.

Or should be!  Look at your own system.  If the guys doing all of the above are not getting the big games, if they are going to the guys how have "been there the longest" just based on seniority, then you do have a problem, and you had better hide as much as you can.

I can not agree with this enough.

One of the major problems, as I see it, at the high school level is that everyone wants to complain about the games they get but no one wants to put the work in to get better. No one wants to do film review. No one wants to spend money to go to camps. No one wants to take constructive criticism. They want to show up, work the game, get their $90, and go the heck home. Because they've been doing it that way for 20 years.

People should get assignments based on one factor and one factor only: skill level. That 18 year old kid fighting for a Division I scholarship doesn't care how long you've been officiating. Neither does that coach whose job is on the line. And it should be an open process - everyone should know who is getting rated higher.

And if people get upset about their rankings and/or game assignments, there's an easy solution: Work Harder, Study More, and Get Better. That is all that they can truly control.

I spent over $700 to go to a camp last year in order to work 15 plays of football in order to make myself better. Please tell me all of that money, time away from my friends and family, and all of that effort didn't go to waste simply because someone's been "doing it longer" than me and you're afraid to upset the apple cart.

Let them see who's getting better assignments. Let them complain about it. Those who don't like it and then work harder will eventually get rewarded for it. Those who do nothing but complain about it and don't work to get better - well, you shouldn't be worried too much about them anyway.

[TampaSteve]

The prev 3 entries are spot-on.
If the whiners/minority don't like it they are welcome to work with another Assn.
Written evaluations sure do help for supporting documentation though for why guys aren't working as much as others.
I'm all about transparency for this topic.

A small item to perhaps add in support of what seems to be the whiners: they could potentially have a beef in that the good ole boy network could be in place & the good ole boys are working all the games and/or all the 'big' games.

A friend is looking to move up & has worked NCAA (FCS) Spring and Fall scrimmages the past 2 seasons, yet is not on his local Assns "#1 playoff crew".  He's the only person in the entire Assn doing anything at the next level and/or trying to move up.

All this said would even more support the need for the schedule for being out for all to see. - heck guys find out who is working where anyway.

[Rulesman]

One of the major problems, as I see it, at the high school level is that everyone wants to complain about the games they get but no one wants to put the work in to get better. No one wants to do film review. No one wants to spend money to go to camps. No one wants to take constructive criticism. They want to show up, work the game, get their $90, and go the heck home. Because they've been doing it that way for 20 years.

People should get assignments based on one factor and one factor only: skill level. That 18 year old kid fighting for a Division I scholarship doesn't care how long you've been officiating. Neither does that coach whose job is on the line. And it should be an open process - everyone should know who is getting rated higher.

And if people get upset about their rankings and/or game assignments, there's an easy solution: Work Harder, Study More, and Get Better. That is all that they can truly control.

I spent over $700 to go to a camp last year in order to work 15 plays of football in order to make myself better. Please tell me all of that money, time away from my friends and family, and all of that effort didn't go to waste simply because someone's been "doing it longer" than me and you're afraid to upset the apple cart.

Let them see who's getting better assignments. Let them complain about it. Those who don't like it and then work harder will eventually get rewarded for it. Those who do nothing but complain about it and don't work to get better - well, you shouldn't be worried too much about them anyway.

Speaking from the perspective of being an assignor for 3 different high school conferences, along with being an observer and evaluator at the collegiate level, +1... and then some! 

[bama_stripes]

Speaking from the perspective of being an assignor for 3 different high school conferences, along with being an observer and evaluator at the collegiate level, +1... and then some! 

Rulesman, what do you do when you have officials of equal ability and not enough slots to go around?

[TampaSteve]

Rulesman, what do you do when you have officials of equal ability and not enough slots to go around?

sounds like time for a good ole fashioned "texas tornado cage match" to determine the winner.   

It has the 2 things to make it a good match. 1-a state.  2-a natural disaster.  Of course it helps when the participants speak in 3rd person too.   

[SouthGARef]

Thank you for the responses thus far.

Currently, we have the master schedule blocked because in the recent past it started to become an issue for our assigner and executive board. Certain members, who spoiled it for the rest of the group, started "bean counting" and requesting games. In addition, those members also started complaining about who "should" be working the "big" games. In an attempt to stop the nagging officials from whining, we voted to block access to view the slots on the master schedule. So far, it has made things a lot easier.

Also, as we've all probably learned a time or two in life:

Easier =/= Better

[Rulesman]

Rulesman, what do you do when you have officials of equal ability and not enough slots to go around?

Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury. I generally have more slots than capable officials, almost to the point where I can't fill the games without having to cross my fingers and pray a lot. Not there yet, but I see the train-a-coming...

[maven]

Not there yet, but I see the train-a-coming...

Does it look like this?

[Rulesman]

Does it look like this?

No, but it should!