I have received two e-mails over the last few days on how to check CPBOA Meeting Attendance.  In years past meeting attendance was maintained in a pdf format directly on the CPBOA website, for the 2012-2013 this was moved and I feel it was the right thing to do.  First the meetings I attend are really no-one's business other than mine and CPBOA officiers, the old format showed every official and what meetings they attended, privacy no-no.  Two, the new method actually breaks it down a little nicer in my mind.

This change was announced on October 18, 2012 by Barbara Epply titled 'CPBOA Meeting Attendance and Dues', if you didn't receive it let Barb know.

To check your CPBOA Meeting Attendance:

1) Log-On to ZebraWeb

2) Go To the Zebra-Secretary Console

3) Menu 'Meeting Attendance and Dues' and select 'My Meeting Attendance & Dues'

Enjoy!

In every sport at every game, the opportunity for the officiating crew to change the game exists.  From high school athletics to professional sports, from replacement officials to the regular officials.  The actions that are made leading into and immediately after a controversial call can make or break the crew. 

Last night during Monday Night Football, America witnessed a new sensation: the Touchception.  The Touchception had nothing to do with the game of football, the players, coaches or even if it was a crew of replacement officials or not. 

The Touchception now is term for a single play resulting in a touchdown and interception.  Every sport has its own rules on how the officiating crew handles these situations, and in the NFL the officiating crew went with the touchdown call as it could only be a touchdown or interception. 

The use of instant reply offered the officials no hope of crawling out of their hole, as the use of reply in the NFL can not alter who caught the ball.  The ruling on the field must stand. 

In the basketball world we have a similar term, the Blarge.  A Blarge is a play resulting in both a defensive block foul and a offensive charge foul.  As witnessed with the discussions of the Touchception the Blarge is just as ugly in basketball. 

Now with basketball, unlike football the opportunity of the Blarge happens numerous times a game and can happen at any time.  The reason you probably haven’t heard of or seen the Blarge is because basketball officials are more in tune, but they still happen. 

They happen when there is miscommunication with your partners on the officiating crew.  Last night we had two officials assume they had the same call, and both signaled opposite calls.  Mayhem ensued.  In basketball the miscommunication is usually unintentional where in the heat of play two officials with two different vantage points signal what they witnessed, often opposite. 

Just like in football, the officials don’t get many mulligans.  When two officials make opposite calls in basketball both the block and charge are assessed resulting in fouls that cancel each other out. 

In football the signal is to wave both arms above your body or stop the clock. In basketball simply raising one arm with a fist stops the clock and signals foul.  That gives time to break up any players, process what you just witnessed, verbally communicate with your partner officials and compare and then come out with an unanimous call. 

The most important aspect of officiating is getting the call right, and there are times where you put yourself in the position where you can’t go back.  It happens to all of us, its how you move from that Blarge or Touchception and finish the game and start the next one. 

No matter what the call is going to be, take your time and compose yourself.  Your mechanics tell the story that will save or destroy your crew.  A little more communication and patience last night and the world would not be discussing the Touchception, but would be discussing the work of that crew of officials for getting the call right under stress and in the heat of the moment, replacement or not.

Scott R. Davis has been a District 3 PIAA official since 2004.

If you haven’t already added your availability to ZebraWeb for the upcoming season, your more than a month late.  You should try to have your base availability completed by mid-August, and as your schedule changes you should update your availability.

Before we look at the availability let’s review some important details.  The best way to get games is to be available, and understanding the system will help you get the games.   

For varsity level games; ZebraWeb sets three hours aside for the game, so if it starts at 7:30, you need to use 4:15 as your partial day end time block.

For junior varsity level games; the same rule applies, so games that start at 6, you should use 2:45 as your partial day end time block.  I have found that having availability at 4:15 I get both junior varsity and varsity assignments.

For junior high level assignments; they are being assigned via assign-myself.  Now assign myself will not show games if your not available to work them.  If your availability is 4:15 you won’t see any games for 3:45.  My understanding is you want your availability to be 2:30 or earlier to see these games.

Now that we know how to choose our availability times, now we have to set it.  If you are spending hours doing day by day or week by week, STOP!

I have found the easiest way is to set a date range ‘08/1/XXXX’ to ’02/28/XXXX’, select M,T,W,T,F in the day selections (work days) do a partial day block 12:00AM to XX:XXPM (see above for help in selecting ending time), Explanation of block simply put work and update.

Now for the whole season your work base availability is set, you can go thru and do full day blocks, remove blocks, and make changes as they come up.

PIAA Games aren’t played on Sunday’s so just ignore Sunday (but not in your non-piaa availability).

Maintaining your availability is also very critical.  There is nothing worse than getting a game on a day your out of town and then you have to turn it back - which is never good.  When your schedule changes update your availability in ZebraWeb and your Non-PIAA e-mail to the assignor.

Partial Day End Time Summary:

  Varsity - 4:15 PM

  Junior Varsity - 2:45 PM

  Junior High - Assign Myself

Information from Donnie Eppley on 12/11/2011 via e-mail.