Providing Outstanding Officiating

 for East Texas Schools

The SFA Basketball Officials Association is an organization dedicated to providing outstanding officiating for East Texas Schools.  The SFA Chapter is authorized by and will be governed by the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Southwest Basketball Officials Association and the Bylaws of the SFA Chapter.  The Association is a member of the Texas Association of Sports Officials, a nonprofit corporation with the primary mission of education and training members so they are qualified to officiate in the athletic programs of the University Interscholastic League (Texas Public
Schools).

OFFICIALS GENERAL INFORMATION

A.     Agreement. All officials must be satisfactory to both parties and agreed upon in advance. However, beginning a game with an official constitutes agreement.

B.     TASO. Member schools shall use, unless mutually decided otherwise, registered TASO officials in all varsity contests. If non TASO officials are used for varsity contests, a report shall be filed with the League office (within seven days of the contest, if possible).

C.     Neutral Officials. In all contests, schools should always attempt to secure neutral officials.

D.     Host Responsibility. The responsibility to obtain satisfactory officials is upon the host school who must provide the names of officials to the visiting school at least 14 days prior to the contest.

E.     Notification. When names of officials are received by the visiting school, the visiting school shall immediately notify the host school if officials are not satisfactory. Failure of the visiting school to solicit names of officials from the home school within four days of the contest constitutes agreement.

F.     Failure to Show. If agreed upon officials fail to show, the visiting school shall not be in violation by refusing to play. However, earnest effort should be expended to find officials so that the game may be played without additional travel expenses for team and fans. A host school does not have to forfeit the contest unless the District Executive Committee rules that it has been negligent in contracting and securing approved officials.

G.     Scratches.

1.     When officials who have been previously agreed upon by both teams are scratched, the school scratching the officials shall pay them the fee they would have received had they worked the game minus any travel expenses and shall also pay the additional travel costs in obtaining new officials. If scratched officials obtain another game, they do not have to be paid.

2.     After a school has accepted an official, and then scratches the official prior to a contest, the scratching must be approved by the athletic director in multiple-high school districts, and the principal and!or superintendent in single-member districts. Note: Officials shall not be scratched the day of the game, except by mutual consent of both schools.

3.     The League discourages indiscriminate scratching of entire chapters except in cases when potential problems could result with fans andlor school employees.

The next chapter meeting will be December 1st, city hall Council
Chambers at 6pm.

2005-2006 SFA-TASO
 Board of Directors

President: Jimmy Rice
Vice President: Kenneth Williams
Secretary: Ricky Conner
Treasurer: Jeff Robinson
Commissioner: Rotley Tankersley
Commissioner: Anthony Curtis
Commissioner: Corlos Johnson

OFFICIALS GENERAL INFORMATION CONT.

4.     Officiating chapters should be fair in their game assignments, offering smaller schools the opportunity to use higher level officials when possible.

5.     When officials do not show, or when the previously agreed upon officials do not show, and the game has to be rescheduled, the chapter shall be responsible for the rescheduled game fee, unless it is determined by the school that an emergency arose beyond the control of the officials.

H.     Penalty. The penalty for failure to provide officials is forfeiture of the game or match. The District Executive Committee shall determine whether or not forfeiture is applicable.

Fee Violations. If the rules in regard to fees of officials are violated by a member school, the facts shall be reported to the District Executive Committee at a meeting to be called as soon as possible after the game. The committee shall decide on the merits of the case and apply the penalty; or, if an emergency is declared, waive the penalty. The District Executive Committee may declare that, in its judgment, an emergency arose and, therefore, waive the penalty. Chapters are not allowed to publish their own fee schedules. Any TASO chapter charging or requesting fees in excess of the fees listed in the Constitution and Contest Rules will be considered a chapter not in good standing by UIL.

J.     Contracts. Schools are not required to sign contracts for services with TASO chapters. Chapters who refuse to provide services to schools who do not sign contracts will be considered chapters not in good standing with TASO and UIL.