Working with crews

[Kentuckybasketball]

Our association is getting ready to break up crews and start assigning games by position. Would like a feel of what other associations are doing and pros and cons of you method of assignment.

[El Macman]

Our association is getting ready to break up crews and start assigning games by position. Would like a feel of what other associations are doing and pros and cons of you method of assignment.

Indivdual assignments allows for broadening of experience. It may also allow individuals to work more than one position and not get 'stuck' in one position, which can be very valuable when a person's 'window' for upper level assignment opens. If a position opens at Field Judge, and all you have worked is Head Linesman, that can hamper folks.
On the other hand, fixed crews offers much greater cohesion for the crew on the field for any specific game. You get to know each other's characteristics and perferences, and you flow much better.

Overall, crews are much better on game day. But individual assignments are helpful for individial development.

 

[Getting Fat]

Well said El Macman.  Our Chapter recently wrestled with this issue and pros and cons were weighed (Macman was much more succinct than us - it took us months to come to a decision...).  The deciding factor was that come playoff time, coaches prefer crews who have worked together all year and our chapter's playoff assignments would be benefited by having worked in crews all year.  Cant say that really helped this past year, but that was our thinking.

[Mike L]

Crew for our JV/V double headers. Everything else is individual. All assignments done by the assign secs.

We also have something of an unusual crew system. Each June the crew chiefs meet to draft their crew. Any certified official (a number of requirements for that) is eligible to be drafted. The only restriction on the crew chief is he may not draft anyone who he drafted the year before (or anyone who became a permanent replacement during the year). The crew chief decides what position the draftee works although in most cases we know where the guys want to work and where they are capable of working.

[JasonTX]

We are assigned individually.  One of the cons that I have seen with a crew system based upon my own observations is that crews tend to create their own mechanics or tweek those that are set by the state so when you watch a 4 game set worked by crews each one does something different so we lose the consistency.  Working individually you don't see much variation in the mechanics as they are set by state.  That is for high school.

For college, I love being on a set crew.  I think that is because we have better accountability and it would ruin a career if we decided to tweek the mechanics without a supervisors blessings.

[elewis023]

We primarily use crews.  Newer officials work individually and cover blocked out weeks for guys on crews.  Playoff assignments are individual.

[Coby]

I will quit if we ever go away from crews at the high school level in (Houston/Texas).  For 1 major reason.  I get more out of the comraderie of the members of my crew then I get out of the pay check from working the game.  We bust each others balls on the way to the game and talk about our fantasy football teams.  When we get there we take the games seriously but we also have a lot of fun in the course of a game.  Our wives dont let us go out and drink beer anymore so this is really our only time for guy time.  All of our kids are the same age etc. etc.

I dont look like or behave like the majority of the people in my chapter.  I flat out cant stand about 15% of them.  My friday nights would suck if I had to hang out with them and listen to their wining for an entire game.  In terms of professional development yeah I am sure we fall into some group think tactics but I recognize that and look for ways to compensate.  Just a thought.  Coby

[concordref]

Kentucky,

I am from Northeast Ohio area and I think for the most part, most of Ohio work crews on Friday night.  Here in Northern Ohio there are a number of 4 man crews that work together on Saturday morning.  Each crew has a crew chief (me) on my crew, and we get all of our games through assigners.  I have only worked varsity games on crews, so I know no other way.  But I can tell you, after working several playoff games where we are assigned by the state of Ohio, You certainly loose the connection of your crews, working with 4 new  officials.  I know on any type of play, when I look up, who I am going to see, when i have to turn my back to the field, I know either my R or my BJ will be covering my back side.  Plus when you work in a great crew with great guys, it is a pure pleasurer going to the games.  I have worked with crews where the chemistry has not been good, and that makes for along night.  I have read on this site where posts like this were asked, where some assoc. have a draft every year, breaking up crews.  I would be willing to talk in my assoc. for a plan like that.  The only plus I can see for assigning each position for each game, it would give newer officials to get a chance to work varsity games sooner.  That is a big drawback for assigning by crews.  Newer officials can not break into older crews, and thus do not get a chance to work varsity.  I also can see the assigners point of view, where instead of him making 5 calls to fill a game on on a Friday night, He makes one call early in the season or as our do, by e-mail and the Arbiter and he can take care of  whole season.  I didn't really come up with anything different than the other posts, just explained how we do it in Ohio

[Mike L]

I have read on this site where posts like this were asked, where some assoc. have a draft every year, breaking up crews.  I would be willing to talk in my assoc. for a plan like that.  The only plus I can see for assigning each position for each game, it would give newer officials to get a chance to work varsity games sooner. 

Other advantages are the crew avoids falling into ruts that may take it away from association approved mechanics. It's just not feasible to implement "your own way" of doing things because about the time you get there the season is over. You can on a few non-essential mechs, but overall everyone, even the crew chiefs, have to follow the "rule". Makes for a stronger overall assoc and more consistent calling of games throughout the area, which the coaches prefer. You also can get to know more guys in the area rather than just the same guys over and over. Makes for a friendlier assoc. You don't have to go thru the drama of "firing" a guy who's just not making it or is a problem child. At the end of the year, he's gone no questions asked.
And it's easy enough to avoid "problem" crew-mates. We do get to draft our own crews, so it's pretty easy for me to avoid guys I just don't get along with very well. Those guys just never appear on my draft rosters when I walk into the room. It's also easier for the chief to draft strengths to fit his preferrences, a few even just draft to have their buddies on the crew. Some guys prefer to be really strong up the middle, some guys prefer strong flanks. The assignment secs provide a lot of help with the newer guys once you get down to drafting some "unknowns". It's part of their job along with the 1st & 2nd yr insturctors to know who is or is not "crew worthy". And I'll say the draft itself is a lot of fun. A lot of ribbing about someone's 1st round pick you had slotted as a 3rd rounder at best or cussing about the guy who took your next pick right before you were up.

[VALJ]

My association is experimenting with the crew concept this year, where we'll be in a crew for half the season and then assigned individually the other half.  I'm not terribly excited by the idea of going to crews, but I'm reserving my judgment until after the season.

[James]

Here are some more views when the topic was last discussed.

Crew assignments versus individual assignments?
http://www.refstripes.com/forum/index.php?topic=7294.0

In Europe (well, in Germany at least) using crews would not be an option. We have playing season from April till October and games on Saturdays and Sundays with assignments of 5 to 7 officials. People need different times off during such a long season, so a crew would often be short anyways, some games will get moved around or posponed. It is too chaotic here to not use individual assigment (although the assignor would definately prefer it).

[LarryW60]

Need a third choice: "Both".  We use crews for varsity and by position for everything sub-varsity.  It allows us to work with other members, but in a setting that will not cause serious implications if the crew isn't used to each other and errors are made.

[Dommer1]

Here are some more views when the topic was last discussed.

Crew assignments versus individual assignments?
http://www.refstripes.com/forum/index.php?topic=7294.0

In Europe (well, in Germany at least)...

Things are not uniform in Europe. We're using crews in our 1st division for the second year. Football is organized differently in different countries in Europe, and so is officiating.

[TxSkyBolt]

Our wives dont let us go out and drink beer anymore so this is really our only time for guy time.  Coby

And you call yourself a Texan?