07/17/18 – Officials Division Updates- Scratches and Evaluations

July 16, 2018

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As we are now set to begin another year, please review the following changes that are now in place with regard to the KHSAA Officials Division:

SCRATCHES
The KHSAA Board of Control approved two changes with regard to scratches beginning in 2018-19. 

Per the Federal Court Order of 1971, as amended in 1987, schools must be given an opportunity to scratch an official. However those limitations have been varied over the years and in many cases, have created near impossible situations for assigners to staff games or selective desires by coaches. Standardizing the number of scratches allows for their continued use in those limited situations where they are deemed essential without allowing for the “gamesmanship” that sometimes occurs within the system.

Beginning this year, a coach/school may now have not less than two (2) and not more than (3) scratches in any sport.  Scratches must be denoted at the beginning of the year.  Local Policy Boards do not have authority to waive the scratch designation or policy. Any existing limit of one (1) will be increased to two (2) and any existing limit of above three (3) will be reduced to three (3).

In addition, in isolated cases, schools were attempting to utilize scratches of officials across region lines and this not only hampered assignments to postseason games but it was not in the original scope of the Federal Decree.  Therefore the directive to local policy boards is to restrict the scratching of officials to the local association and only within the roster of that specific local association.

EVALUATION / RATINGS – REQUIREMENT TO USE ARBITER/ASSIGNER PERCENTAGE
The KHSAA purchases the evaluation system for officials which can be tied directly to game assignments through ArbiterOne.  This system is already paid for so that the local associations can utilize and tie to the actual officials working games.  The evaluation tool through ArbiterOne is the required system for game evaluation of officials.  

No other program or evaluation/ratings is to be utilized.  This use will eliminate many situations that occur which create a lack of credibility.

Local Policy Boards are to approve a rating system scale.  The Assigning Secretary must have at least 50% of the scale for the overall evaluation of officials.

Please contact Associate Commissioner Butch Cope bcope@khsaa.org with any questions.

– KHSAA –

The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/

 

 

 

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