Referee Assistant allows assignors to manually assign and automatically assign referees, based on a number of conflict types. Each conflict type is a set of rules that define when a referee cannot work a specific game.
When using the Manual Assign process, the assignor can turn on/off certain rules. It is recommended that, in order to speed up the manual assignment process, that only the necessary rules are activated.
The Automatic Assigment process requires that the assignor choose the specific rules to be used each time the process is run..
If Referee Assistant identifies a conflict between a referee and a game, the conflict is handled in one of two ways. During the manual assign process, an existing conflict is indicated when the word CONFLICT appears next to the referee's name. During the auto-assignment process, if a conflict exists between a game and a referee, the referee is not assigned to the game, and the process will attempt to assign a referee that does not have a conflict with the game.
In the database and the documentation, conflict types are referred to by their letter codes, however, it is not necessary to remember which letter matches a particular type of conflict.
- Description
A Type A conflict occurs when a referee is assigned to a game that overlaps with a game that he/she is already working somewhere else.
- Setup Needed
No setup is needed for this rule.
- Example
if Joe Smith is assigned to work a game on January 9, 4:00PM on Field A, he will not be able to work a game on January 9, Field B, at 4:15PM.
- Notes/Considerations
Referee Assistant requires that the Type A conflict scheme be used for auto-assigning.
- Description
A Type B conflict occurs when a referee is assigned to a game that he/she is not qualified to work. If a referee is assigned to a game that has a difficulty level higher than his/her "High" ability score, or lower than his/her "Low" ability score, a type B conflict has occurred. In other words, a referee can only be assigned to games with a difficulty level between his/her High and Low ability scores.
- Setup Needed
Each age group must be assigned a difficulty score. This score is used to rank how difficult an age group is to officiate, relative to all other age groups. Age Group difficulty levels are defined on the Age Groups screen (Tools : Maintenance : Add/Edit Age Groups)
Each game must be assigned to an age group, and the difficulty level for each game is set by the game's age group
For each referee position, referees are assigned ability scores by the assignor. These scores represent a high-low referee ability range, as well as a preferred ability score. Referee Ability scores are edited on the Add/Edit Referees screen (Tools : People : Add/Edit Referees)
- Example
See the Age Group section for more information.
- Notes/Considerations
If an assignor invokes this rule, referees must be assigned an ability level for each position. If a referee is not ranked on a particular position, the referee will not be assigned to the position.
- Description
This rule can be used when a referee is not eligible to be assigned to games involving a particular team. The referee may be assigned to other games at days/times the team is playing.
- Setup Needed
Each referee-team combination must be specified on the Main Menu : Availability : Conflict with a Team (type 1) screen.
- Example
John Smith works as a teacher at Smallville High School, and cannot work any games involving any smallville team. However, he is still able to work other games on the date(s) and time(s) that Smallville is playing
- Notes/Considerations
Typically used when a referee has a conflict with a team or a coach of a team.
- Description
This rule can be used when a referee does not want to be assigned to games that occur during the day(s) and time(s) a particular team is playing.
- Setup Needed
Each referee-team combination must be specified on the Main Menu : Availability :Conflict with the Time a Team Plays (type 2) screen.
- Example
John Smith is a coach and a referee. He cannot be assigned to any games when the Blue Bombers are playing. The assignor specifies a Type 2 team conflict between John Smith and Blue Bombers, which will prevent John from being assigned to any games at the date(s) and time(s) the Blue Bombers are playing. John could be assigned as a referee to games occuring before and after the Blue Bombers game.
- Notes/Considerations
Typically used when a referee is a coach, and must be present at a game, or when a referee is a parent, and plans to watch his/her child play.
- Description
This rule can be used when a referee cannot work games in a specific league.
- Setup Needed
Each game must be assigned to a league.
Each referee-league combination must be specified on the Main Menu : Availability :Conflict with a League screen.
- Example
The assignor assigns youth and high school games with a common pool of referees. Joe Smith is able to work both youth and high school games, while John Smith is only able to work youth games.
The assignor specifies a conflict between John and any high school-specific leagues. This prevents John from being assigned to any high school games.
- Notes/Considerations
Can be used when a referee assigns more than one level of play. For example, An assignor has a common pool of referees, and assigns for youth leagues, high school leagues, and College games. Some referees are only qualified to work in youth leagues, others are eligible for both youth and high school, and some are willing and able to work all three.
This feature could also be used for an assignor that assigns for multiple sports, and has a common pool of referees for two sports in one database. Each league could represent a sport/league combination, and conflicts can be added to ensure that soccer referees are not scheduled for volleyball matches.
- Description
This rule can be used when a referee is not available to work on a specific day, and between two specific times.
- Setup Needed
Referee day & time conflicts must be entered on the Main Menu : Availability : Ref Day-Time Availability screen.
- Example
A referee is unable to work an games on the morning of September 16. The assignor enters a day-time conflict for September 16 between 6:00AM and 12:00PM. The referee will not be assigned to any games that morning, but could be assigned to games after noon on Septmber 16.
- Notes/Considerations
If no dates or times are specified, Referee Assistant assumes that a referee is available to work at all days and times
For more information on the screen(s) used, click here.
- Description
This rule can be used when a referee cannot work more than a specified number of games per day.
- Setup Needed
The assignor must enter a value in the Max Games/Day field on the Add/Edit Referees screen.
- Example
Joe Smith indicates that he only wants to work 3 games per day. A conflict will occur when the assignor attempts to assign Joe to a 4th game in the same day.
- Notes/Considerations
If the Max Games/Day field is left blank, Referee Assistant will allow the referee to be assigned to an unlimited number of games per day.
- Description
This rule can be used when a referee cannot work games in one or more geographic zones.
- Setup Needed
The assignor must determine the names and boundaries of the geographic zones to be used.
Each zone name must be entered on the Maintenance : Add/Edit Zones screen
Each field must be assigned to a zone on the Maintenance : Add/Edit Fields/Venues screen.
Each zone-referee conflict combination must be entered on the Availability : Conflict with a Zone screen.
- Example
Example: Zone Assigning
Referee Joe Smith lives in Zone 1, and can only work games in Zones 1, 2, and 4.
The assignor can specify that Joe has a conflict working games in Zone 3, Zone 5 and Zone 6.
As another example, a local tournament uses 20 fields. These 20 fields are split up between 4 sports complexes; 5 fields per complex. The assignor sets up 4 different zones, one for each sports complex. Prior to assignment, the referee assigns each referee to a specific complex, and indicates that the referees have a conflict with each of the other three complexes.
- Notes/Considerations
If a field is not assigned to a zone, any referee can be assigned to the field without causing a conflict.