Officials Advisory Committee

Minutes
March 8, 2008 • 10 a.m.
Robert W. Hughes FHSAA Building
Gainesville, Florida


The Officials Advisory Committee met at the Robert W. Hughes FHSAA Building on Monday, Mar. 10, 2008 at 10 a.m. Those members present were: Rusty Batcher (Volleyball, Sec. 4), Ben Buckner (Baseball, Sec. 2), Tony De Mello (Softball, Sec. 4), Tim Estes (Basketball, Sec. 4), Stephen Farinacci (Soccer, Sec. 3), Carlos Fenn (Volleyball, Sec. 3), Stephen Fredrickson (Football, Sec. 1), Candy Gleason (Soccer, Sec. 2), Butch Goble (Baseball, Sec. 4), Dan Hector (Softball, Sec. 3), David Hoppey (Football, Sec. 2), Helen Kelchner (Volleyball, Sec. 1), Diane Kendall (Softball, Sec. 1), Mike Knowles (Baseball, Sec. 3/NFOA Representative), Beryl Napoleon (Basketball, Sec. 1), Larry Norton (Softball, Sec. 2), Michael Parks (Baseball, Sec. 1), Thomas Powers (Football, Sec. 3), Mike Puleo (Wrestling, Sec. 3), Don Smith (Wrestling, Sec. 4), Newman Stemple (Soccer, Sec. 4), and Joe Underwood (Football, Sec. 4).

FHSAA staff members present were: John Stewart, Executive Director; Denarvise Thornton, Associate Executive Director; Paul McLaughlin, Assistant Executive Director; Gary Pigott, Senior Director of Athletics; Tamara Forrester, Director of Athletics; Shanell Young, Director of Athletics; Jamie Rohrer, Director of Athletics; Carrie Hardee, Officials Registrar; Travis Kwok, FHSAA Intern; David Sweeney, FHSAA Intern; and guest speaker David Voss (Voss & Associates).

Members not in attendance were: Randy Abbott (Basketball, Sec. 3), Elaine Almond (Volleyball, Sec. 2), Pat Fairfax (Wrestling, Sec. 1), and Alvis Summers (Basketball, Sec. 2).

I. Welcome, Introductions, Purpose
M. Denarvise Thornton called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m. He welcomed the committee members and there were brief introductions of the FHSAA staff and officials in attendance. The committee was also reminded of their purpose and the procedure for how agenda items are passed.

Committee members also received materials that the FHSAA has received in the office since the September 2007 meeting that included the following topics:
• Testing economics (online vs. paper)
• NFHS Survey on age restrictions for officials
• Evaluation tools
• Screening process for all Florida counties with regard to the Jessica Lunsford Act

Mr. Thornton reviewed the “State of Officiating” with regard to FHSAA member schools and officials. Topics mentioned were:
1. A number of brawls occurred this year (about 17) in football, boys basketball, and girls basketball. Local officials associations are encouraged to discuss at a regularly scheduled training session how to handle such incidents and to develop a protocol that all members will follow.
2. The double dual system (DDS) of officiating in soccer has been successful in its first year of implementation. The purpose was to give the side referees more authority in game management and to deter off-ball unsporting conduct. There are still going to be some challenges with training and local associations, but we look forward to continued success.
3. The FHSAA will continue to monitor sanctioned local officials associations. Items to be reviewed for postseason assignments are: training meeting schedules, field clinics, game reports and evaluations. This year, basketball and soccer were requested to submit evaluations of their top three crews with their recommendations list, more sports are to follow.
4. The officials advisory committee may be restructured this upcoming year to reflect a more unified approach to governance. The committee may meet once a year as a whole and one member form each sport will be asked to serve on the corresponding coaches advisory committee. The first general meeting may take place in June 2008.
5. The 2008-09 school-year will be the first time that officials who are a rank 1 and have scored above a 90 for the 5 previous years on their closed-book exam will be able to exempt their exam. Currently, the FHSAA will request those who would like this waiver to request it in writing to the office. The committee favored assigning the previous year’s score to the official for rank purposes as opposed to an average of the three previous years.
6. Mr. Thornton thanked the entire committee for the coverage in game assignments for the fall and winter championships.
7. Due to the technical issues that were experienced during the fall and winter on-line testing dates, the sitting fee for written tests was waived this year. The fee will begin next year.
8. The request by officials or local associations to know what the penalties were for a student-athlete that was submitted to the FHSAA office for unsporting conduct will not be entertained. There are many factors that go into the assignment of suspensions and are worked out through the FHSAA and the offending student’s school. Due to the sensitivity of the actions and age of the student, consequences will not be shared.
9. The FHSAA will no longer be sponsoring a Fall Soccer Championship starting in 2008. Many of the participating schools will be moving to boys winter soccer. The FHSAA is aware that the increase in teams may affect the ability to cover games in some areas of the state. Soccer associations are encouraged to notify the FHSAA if there are any problems that are developing in their assigning area.
10. The FHSAA has received complaints that local officials associations are denying membership to officials at the local level. The FHSAA Officials Guidebook Book does not permit this practice when a registered official is in good standing with the FHSAA. If there are concerns with an official’s ability to be a good member due to conduct or actions, please document and notify the FHSAA.
11. The FHSAA accepts nominations from individual members each year for NFOA Awards. The NFOA liaison reviews resumes that are submitted each year, and submits a recommendations list to the FHSAA. NFOA Awards that are given out at the Officials Leadership Conference are ultimately determined by the FHSAA.

II. Mr. McLaughlin spoke to the membership about the first year online testing program. Some points about this program include:
1. About 70 percent of all officials took their sport specific test online.
2. The number one request from officials is to be able to know what questions they missed when taking the online test. This is the number one priority of the FHSAA to update for next year. The questions missed will most likely be able to be emailed after the close of the testing period in which the test was taken.
3. A concern with cheating has prompted the request to lower the testing window from 50 minutes. Concerns from the committee were for officials with disabilities, language barriers, and reading comprehension problems. Additionally, some members are concerned that catering to a few allows for more problems from the many.
4. The ability to go back and change answers is also a concern. Currently, you can only go back to questions that are not answered, members would like to go back to questions that have been answered too. This may be addressed before next year, but is not a priority at this point in time.

III. Mike Parks is the sitting Chairperson for this year. The current agenda and minutes from the Sept. 10, 2007 meeting were approved. The Mar. 5, 2007 minutes are supplied for review during the meeting on past recommendations.

IV. A PowerPoint presentation by Mr. David Voss of Voss and Associates was made on the new FHSAA Officials Recruitment Campaign. Committee members were asked for input on the materials that were presented and ideas for campaign materials. A key component of the success of the campaign is to get local officials association buy-in to the concept. The committee recommends that each association select a recruiting coordinator to help gather and disseminate the information to their membership.

The FHSAA and Voss & Associates will develop posters, PSA’s (radio and TV), speaker’s bureau speeches, and launch a new website (www.becomeanofficial.org) to help recruit the nearly 2,000 officials that are needed to help adequately cover high school athletic competitions throughout the state.

V. Committee Reports

A. Baseball • presented by Butch Goble
Recommendation #1
Allow umpires to wear commercially manufactured different color shirts during baseball games.
MOTION: Goble/2nd Knowles
OAC 1st Reading: 22-1 Approve
ADAC 1st Reading: 8-0 Approve
OAC 2nd Reading: 21-0 Approve

Recommendation #2
Require the schools to bear responsibility for softball and baseball equipment, especially bats and helmets.
AMENDED: To submit a proposal to the NFHS to require schools to bear responsibility for the equipment and eliminate all equipment inspections by umpires. (Underwood/2nd Batcher: 20-0 Approve 1 Abstention)
MOTION: Stemple/2nd Underwood
OAC 1st Reading: 20-0 Approve (1 Abstention)
This is an NFHS rule. Softball asked to submit the proposal to the NFHS for a rules change.

B. Basketball
No agenda items.

C. Football • presented by Joe Underwood
Recommendation #1
Require each local officials association to purchase and train with the current year’s version of the CCA 7-man mechanics manual.
AMENDED: To include any PowerPoint presentations available for free to local associations. (Fredrickson/2nd Knowles: 21-0 Approve)
MOTION: Goble/2nd Knowles
OAC 1st Reading: 23-0 Approve
OAC 2nd Reading: 21-0 Approve

Recommendation #2
Add one (1) official spot for 25-second clock operator on football play-off crew forms for those sites that operate a 25-second clock.
MOTION: Fredrickson/2nd Stemple
OAC 1st Reading: 18-5 Approve
OAC 1st Reading: 21-0 Approve

Discussion only-The committee reviewed a letter submitted to the FHSAA by Amelia Pasqualone in reference to football clock operators.

D. Soccer • presented by Stephen Farinacci
Recommendation #1
To increase the number of officials during the FHSAA Finals to include a fourth official, this includes a game fee of $35 for this official.
MOTION: Batcher/2nd Norton
OAC 1st Reading: 23-0 Approve as Amended
SAC 1st Reading: 6-0 Approve
OAC 2nd Reading: 21-0 Approve
SAC 2nd Reading: 6-0 Approve

Recommendation #2
The length of JV games in soccer will be 30 minutes.
MOTION: Knowles /2nd Kendall
OAC 1st Reading: 23-0 Approve
SAC 1st Reading: 6-0 Disapprove
ADAC 1st Reading: 8-2 Disapprove
OAC 2nd Reading: 21-0 Approve
SAC 2nd Reading: 6-0 Disapprove

Recommendation #3
A player shall be disqualified for a second caution and the number of players on the field shall be reduced.
AMENDED: The FHSAA will seek approval of the NFHS for the ability to reduce the number of players on the field for a second yellow card. (Stemple/2nd Underwood: 21-0 Approve)
MOTION: Underwood/2nd Fredrickson
OAC 1st Reading: 21-0 Approve

Recommendation #4
All two 5-minute sudden-victory overtime periods during the regular season for varsity teams.
MOTION: Lieb/2nd Rodrigues
SAC 1st Reading: 6-0 Approve
OAC 1st Reading: 17-3 Disapprove 1 Abstention
ADAC 1st Reading: 5-3 Approve
SAC 2nd Reading: 6-0 Approve
The committee would prefer PK’s to be instituted to resolve ties.

Discussion only- Candy Gleason compiled a group of questions regarding the success of the double dual system this year with a request to poll coaches and athletic directors to determine if objectives were met and to develop training materials. The FHSAA staff is in the process of collecting data from officials associations, officials, and coaches/athletic directors. The committee also reviewed emails from Thom Smith with regard to the NOCSAE seal, Rich Paterson about an overtime procedure and football goal posts that hang over the field of play, and one on how to track yellow cards during the regular season.

E. Softball • presented by Diane Kendall
See baseball.

F. Volleyball
No action items.

G. Wrestling
No action items.

VI. General Recommendations
Recommendation #1
Local associations’ sports who do not attend the Officials Leadership Conference should forfeit their representation for the FHSAA Finals during the next year.
MOTION: Gleason/2nd Fredrickson
OAC 1st Reading: 20-2 Approve
OAC 2nd Reading: 20-1 Approve
Association attendance will be monitored by the FHSAA.

Recommendation #2
For baseball, allow a one-day clinic for one or multiple associations, with a minimum of 4 teams, a schedule is required, and approval by the FHSAA.
AMENDED: In all sports, allow a one-day clinic for local associations, with a minimum of 4 teams, a schedule is required, and approval by the FHSAA. (Underwood/2nd Gleason: 21-0 Approve)
MOTION: Goble/2nd Fredrickson 21-0 Approve
OAC 1st Reading: 21-0 Approve

Recommendation #3
Authorization 2 cars for football during the regular season.
MOTION: Goble/2nd Fredrickson
OAC 1st Reading: 23-0 Approve
ADAC 1st Reading: 7-3 Disapprove
OAC 2nd Reading: 20-1 Approve

Recommendation #4
High school students who are at least 16 years of age may register as a student official will be allowed to work any non-varsity level games.
MOTION: Knowles/2nd Norton
OAC 1st Reading: 18-2 Approve
The FHSAA staff is to place this on the coaches and athletic directors’ advisory committee agendas. There are reservations from the FHSAA staff to allowing a 16 year old to officiate his/her peers. The committee believes that the booking commissioners should be responsible enough when assigning these younger officials.

Recommendation #5
When a crew travels to a regional/FHSAA Finals assignments and the game does not commence due to weather, the crew should receive the full game fee.
AMENDED: Travel fee is also to be included. (Norton/2nd Underwood: 20-0 Approve)
MOTION: Underwood/2nd Stemple
OAC 1st Reading: 23-0 Approve
ADAC 1st Reading: 10-0 Disapprove
OAC 2nd Reading: 20-0 Approve

Recommendation #6
Look at game fees around the nation and develop a new plan for pay and mileage increases.
This recommendation has completed its cycle. The next step is to go to the Board of Director’s in June. The committee has sent all information to Mike Knowles (Florida’s NFOA Representative) for review and development of a plan to be presented to the athletic directors at their April meeting. Points of emphasis are:
• Place Florida officials in the top 1/3 of the country and/or Section 3
• Outside of Section 3, look at comparable states: PA, TX, OH, NY, and CA
• Each official is to be compensated for travel, not crew

Recommendation #7
Officials for JV games should be compensated the same as varsity officials and their games should count equally for proficiency points.
MOTION: Hector/2nd Gleason
OAC 1st Reading: 1-19 Motion Fails

Recommendation #8
Require all assignments to be assigned by a booking agent of a sanctioned officials association.
MOTION: Withdrawn

VII. Open Discussion
1. The committee reviewed an email from Dave Price with regard to online testing and rules presentations.
2. “Did Officiating Lawsuit Cross the Line?” article from Texas was given to all committee members due to its reference of the sideline safety rule that the FHSAA is currently experimenting with in football.
3. The “Real Fans Don’t Heckle Refs” article was presented to show another side of officiating.
4. A letter from Newberry High School was presented due to the concerns of excessive celebration when entering the end zone by Pahokee during the football state championships in December. The committee felt that the rules currently in place addressed this type of behavior and may even be interpreted more stringently if needed.
5. Mr. Parks thanked Carrie Hardee for all of her hard work that she does with and for the officials, the committee applauded the comment.

VIII. The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 p.m.