Long Island Swimming Officials Association  
Serving Long Island Swimmers for over 60 years!  
January 2019
Let's see how this goes ...

Our post season begins next week and many of us will be officiating one or more of the championship meets. It's an exciting time and the league, division, and section championships are a highlight not only for the athletes, coaches, teams and schools
but also for us as officials.

Let's enjoy the fanfare and enthusiasm and perform our duties in our customary professional manner - enforcing the rules so the playing field is fair and level for all the swimmers and divers.

Thank you,
George Fleckenstein
president  
Dive of the Week - 2018-19
Sections VIII and XI
Varsity Swim Meets

Week Dive Group
Nov 25 - Dec 1 100 (Front)
Dec 2 - Dec 8 100 (Front)
Dec 9 – Dec 15 200 (Back)
Dec 16 – Dec 22 400 (Inward)
Dec 23 – Dec 29 5000 (Twist)
Dec 30 – Jan 5 5000 (Twist)
Jan 6 – Jan 12 300 (Reverse)
Jan 13 – Jan 19 100 (Front)
Jan 20 – Jan 26 200 (Back)
Jan 27 – Feb 2 400 (Inward)
Feb 3 – Feb 9 5000 (Twist)
Feb 10 – Feb 16 300 (Reverse )
PLEASE KEEP YOUR AVAILABILITY CURRENT!

You need to keep your availability current on the website calendar of each section that you work. Even though it's their job, the assignors at each section really dislike when there is a cancellation and they go through the list of the officials who have designated themselves as available and are told that they cannot work.
Super Bowl Pool

Thank you Chris Hugo for running our pool again this year. Each square is $20.00. See Chris for a chance to win $1000.00.
LISOA Meeting Dates  

January 29, 2019 - Annual Meeting - 7:30 p.m. - LIE Welcome Center

March 1,2, 2019 - NY State Boys Swimming and Diving Championships - NCAC

March 12, 2019  - Annual Recognition Dinner Banquet - Heritage Club at Bethpage

Active members are required to attend  a minimum of three (3) meetings and/or clinics . As prescribed in Article I of the By-Laws,   attendance at a rules interpretation meeting is required.

diving-board.jpg
Things Every Diving Judge Should Know...
Diving Point Awards

10                    Excellent – No visible flaws – Approach, hurdle, height, distance, execution and entry are all exceptional.

8½ – 9 ½         Very Good – Approach, hurdle, height and/or distance slightly affected. Execution well defined.

7 – 8                Good – Approach and hurdle unaffected. Height and distance acceptable. Execution defined, entry controlled, but slightly affected.

5 – 6½             Satisfactory – Approach and hurdle acceptable. Height and distance adequate. Execution complete and entry slightly over or under.

2½ – 4½          Deficient – Approach and hurdle affected. Height and distance inadequate. Execution affected and entry over or under.

½ – 2               Unsatisfactory – Approach and hurdle affected. Height and distance inadequate. Execution not complete or broken position. Entry significantly affected.

0                     Failed .
Association Elections on January 29.

Our Long Island Swimming Officials Association Annual Meeting will be held on January 29 at the Long Island Expressway Visitor Center. .

The association officers are: president, vice president , secretary, treasurer. Two directors are also elected. All terms are two years. Their duties are described in the by- laws.
Being Late is Unprofessional
Our NFHS Officials Manual suggests that we arrive 30 minutes before the start of the meet; Section VIII contract says we must be ready to officiate at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time; Section XI has our changing rooms available 30 minutes prior to the start of the meet. Most of us try to follow the NFHS guidelines. If you appear on the deck, dressed and ready to begin your pre-meet duties later than 15 minutes prior to the meet - you are late for your assignment.

Arriving late is rude. It's unprofessional. It's inconsiderate to your partner. Its telling them "you are not as important as I am." It's not acceptable to be constantly late. We all have an occasional, beyond our control situation, where even though we budgeted plenty of time, outside forces delay us and make us late. Those should be few and far between.

We all navigate the same roadways and deal with the Long Island traffic. Most of us have figured out that you leave early to take into account unforeseen circumstances - slowdowns on the highway, buses, etc. If nothing wrong happens on your drive, then you will arrive early and have a few minutes to compose yourself, check your emails, read a book. If you do run into a slowdown, you have a cushion of time so that you won't arrive late.

So, please respect your partner and arrive on time for your assignments.

Section XI contract
Officials shall be provided with secure dressing facilities and showers where possible, which are inaccessible to all others. Such facility shall be available from 30 minutes before the contest until 30 minutes after the completion of a contest.

Section VIII Contract
Officials are to be on the field/court ready to officiate 15 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time. For all playoff rounds, officials shall be dressed and ready to officiate a minimum of 30 minutes before the scheduled start time.

NFHS Swimming Officials' Guidelines Manual
I n every meet, all swimming officials should:
Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the meet.
From the New York State Swimming Rules Interpreter
I recommend the following protocol be utilized in the situation where a balk occurs.

1. The diving referee says or announces nothing just after the balk is committed.
2. The diver then resets themselves and then proceeds to perform the dive.
3.  The referee then advises the scoring table that a balk had been committed and that 2 points will be deducted from each judges score.
4.  The announcer may wish to relay the referee’s comments to the audience so that they will understand what is taking place.
5. .   At the same time, it would be prudent of the referee to quietly remind the diving officials they are to
score the dive as observed and that
the table will deduct for the balk. Following the above will better serve all parties involved.

Our own Bob Kersch
2019 Swimming and Diving Championship Dates


Section XI

January 30 - Sachem East - League 1 - 4:15 pm
January 31 - Hauppauge - League 2 - 4:15 pm
February 7 - Hauppauge - Sectional Diving - 4:30 pm
February 9 - Suffolk County CC - Sectional Swimming - 10:00 am

Section VIII

January 31 - Nassau County AC - Divisional Diving - 5:00 pm
February 2 - Nassau County AC - Division Swimming -10:30 am
February 6 - Nassau County AC - Sectional Diving - 5:00 pm
February 8 - Nassau County AC - Section VIII Swim Trials - 6:30 pm
February 9 - Nassau County AC - Section VIII Swim Finals -12:00 pm

New York State

March 1-2 - Nassau County Aquatic Center - 10:30 am
NYSPHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving Championships

Long Island Swimming Officials Association
Annual Recognition Dinner Banquet

Tuesday, March 12, 2018
Heritage Club at Bethpage
Bethpage State Park

Buffet Dinner
Raffle Auction
Recognitions

No charge for LISOA members
$40.00 for your spouse or guest

Please contact Jane Reilly with your attendance plans.


Please bring items for the raffle to the 1/29 meeting or
to a post season meet that you will be attending.
Four Habits of Successful Officials
Referee Magazine
If you took a poll of coaches and players and asked them to name the skills and habits that are important for a game official to possess, what do you suppose would be on the list? More importantly, where would “rules knowledge” fall on the list? Rules knowledge is undoubtedly important but how often will it enter into their thinking? Probably only if a controversial ruling came up during the game you worked, and how often does that happen? The bottom line is that you’re often judged by the little things you do that get noticed rather than your two most crucial skills: rules knowledge and mechanics.

While there is no substitute for strong rules knowledge and solid mechanics, the best officials also possess qualities that are independent of those skills. They have a demeanor or confidence about them that sets them apart from most officials. How can you rise above the rest and, with minimal effort, make yourself look better to everyone who views your performance?

As in other areas of life, there are “little things” that you can do right now — starting with your next assignment — that will enhance your performance, improve your image, increase your comfort and confidence levels and simply make you a better official. The following skills and habits won’t be ingrained overnight but improving a little bit at a time with each of them doesn’t require any significant study or exceptional effort.

1. Keep moving
Hustle really doesn’t take all that much extra effort. It’s simply a matter of being dedicated to being in position and looking interested and athletic during your games. If you know where to be, it is usually easy to get there. Just remember the basic hustle rules: Get as close to the ideal position as possible while ensuring that you are not running when the play actually happens, you don’t interfere with the play and you don’t leave a potential secondary play uncovered.

2. Look professional
No one should underestimate the value of appearance. Buy the standard clothes and equipment for your level of play and wear them properly. Iron your shirts and pants, and shine your shoes. Be dressed and ready before you appear on the field or court and dress professionally when arriving at your changing room before the game. Looks are seldom deceiving; make sure your first impression is one that you can try to live up to and not one that you have to overcome.

3. Arrive early
As with appearance, arrival time is a first-impression issue. It should surprise no one that the official who comes running up to the field a few minutes before game time creates a terrible impression on everyone at the location.
Plan your game days carefully to ensure that you’re able to observe the 15-minute rule for arrival time. The absolute latest you should arrive is 15 minutes early. Most games at the high school level and above will require you to arrive between 45 minutes to an hour and a half early. If you arrive 15 minutes earlier than that, you will always be on time. You will need to properly warm up for your duties, inspect the playing surface, equipment and teams before the game and conduct a managers’ or captains’ conference in addition to your own pregame conference with your crew.

4. Meet the teams
Don’t underestimate the potential value of a meeting with coaches and captains, which gives you an opportunity to get the game started on the right note.

Know what you’re going to say before you talk to the coaches. That diminishes the possibility of you stumbling over your words, creating a negative opinion of your ability or comfort level. Speak in a confident, yet friendly tone, introduce yourself and give a firm handshake. Cover everything you need to cover completely, offer to answer any questions
(that indicates a willingness for two-way communication) and always adjourn your conference with an earnest “good luck” to both parties.

From Our Contracts:
Section VIII - Nassau County

ARTICLE II, SECTION A – MISCELLANEOUS FEES & EXPENSES 
1. Cancellation/Postponement - full fee. In the event that a contest is postponed/cancelled, the assigned official(s) will receive a full fee unless: 
 a. The cancellation is due to illness, injury, death, weather or other acceptable reasons beyond the control of the school district as determined by the Office of the ED. 
 b. The officials receive an equal or higher level contest within the sport season as per their availability. All officials must keep their availability up-to-date. 
 c. If a contest is cancelled on the day it was scheduled, for other than the reasons listed above, and there is no replacement contest on that day the official(s) will receive a full fee. 
 d. When contests may be postponed because of inclement weather conditions, the officials must contact the school within two (2) hours of the contest to ascertain whether the contest will be played. The official must note the name of the person (or voicemail) with whom he/she had contacted at the school. If the status of the game changes after the official confirms with the school it will be the responsibility of the athletic director to contact the official(s). Officials who fail to contact the school or fail to provide a cell phone number will not receive a fee if upon arrival at the site the contest has been postponed or cancelled. 
2. Travel Fee - $37.00. Failure to notify official who appears for a contest that has been cancelled. 
3. No Contest Fee - Full fee. Contests cancelled or postponed at game time or later or called after 30 minutes delay without having been started. Officials must notify the assignor and their assistant by noon the next day to be compensated. 
4. Delayed “late start” fees - Additional ¼ fee. Any contest that is delayed 25 minutes after scheduled starting time. Officials must jointly submit to the Office of the ED the required form within 5 business days or the late start fee will not be assessed. Note: No late start fees for any playoff games or championship events with an hourly rate. 
5. Incomplete Contest - Full Fee. In the event of a suspension of play during a contest, the officials will wait a maximum of (90) minutes to resume play, if conditions warrant. Officials must notify the assignor and their assistant by noon the next day to be compensated. 
6. Less than full complement of officials - In a contest where more than two officials are scheduled to work and one or more fail to appear, the working officials shall share the fee(s) of the absent official(s). The fee shall not exceed a fee of one and one half of the contest fee. Officials must notify the assignor and their assistant within 3 days to be compensated. 
7. One official working a two official contest The one and one-half (1 ½ ) fee is applicable – In the event only one (1) official appears or is assigned to a two person contest, that official shall be required to work the contest. It is agreed that officials shall retain the right to indicate a preference not to work alone. This preference must be indicated on the availability when submitted and will be applied to all contests.  

Section XI - Suffolk County

ARTICLE VIII - FEES
A.1. In all practices and scrimmages to which the Executive Director assigns the official or officials, the official or officials shall receive full compensation in accordance with the scheduled fee.
2.When an incomplete contest occurs, the official is to be paid a full fee.
3.A fee of one and one-half of the regular official's fee will be paid to the official who works a contest where only one official is assigned or where an assigned official fails to appear. In a contest where more than two officials are scheduled to work and one or more fail to be assigned or appear, the remaining fees will be divided among the official or officials who appear.

B1. If a contest is changed for other than valid reasons (weather, illness or death), the official will be compensated at the rate of $40, unless the notification for cancellation of said contest is made ten business days prior to the originally assigned date of the contest. This payment shall not be made if the official is offered or receives another assignment for the same day with all conditions being equal. If schools cancel one level without notification in instances of consecutive contests, the official(s) will be compensated one half of the $40 fee.
2.If an official is unable to remain with an accepted contest which has been changed for reasons deemed unacceptable by the Executive Director and the president of the official's organization, such official shall receive a full fee unless the number of additional assignments offered to that official during the season is equal to or exceeds the number of assignments "lost".
3.Officials who leave a contest before its completion will not be compensated.
4.Turnbacks on the original assignment notice are considered additional assignments offered unless the turnbacks are consistent with the accepted availability as submitted to Section XI.
5.When an official has been assigned to a double-header, a fee equal to an additional one-half fee which would have been earned will be paid to the official if the double-header is not played after the official arrives at the game site.
6.If more than the required number of officials is assigned to a contest, the extra official will receive a full fee provided the error in assignment was made by Section XI. The head official shall determine how the officials are utilized and who is the designated extra official. The official shall indicate on his/her voucher how he/she was utilized. Under no circumstance shall the extra official receive a fee should he/she leave the contest site prior to the end of the contest.
7.In circumstances where the contest starts more than 20, 40, 60, and 80 minutes past the scheduled starting time, the official(s) will be paid, respectively, an additional $15, $20, $26 and $32. All of the above applies only when the official is not notified of the delay prior to arriving at the contest site.

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The purpose and goals of the LISOA and its members shall be to:   
Officiate all meets in a competent and professional manner.
Have its members actively work to improve interscholastic swimming and diving officiating.
Provide a consistent interpretation and administration of interscholastic swimming and diving rules.
Service and collaborate with the swimming and diving community for the improvement of swimming and diving.