“Hey Coach. That was a terrible play call at the end of the game.” No, you wouldn’t say that while walking out of the locker room. Officials are generally smart enough to avoid such comments. But take a look at some officiating-related internet message boards, and it might make you wonder how smart we really are.
It is common, and OK, for officials to discuss rules and other officiating issues, but a regular fan seeing it may not understand the nuances involved.
In today’s world of email, instant messaging, blogs and social networking, anything you put online is there for the whole world to see. And it’s probably out there forever — once you post it, you can never get it back.
“Those mediums have become the new barstool,” says lawyer and official Al Goldberger. “They provide a fertile opportunity to talk to people to whom they shouldn’t be talking, under circumstances in which they shouldn’t be saying anything.”
We all swap war stories with our fellow officials over a beverage or two on Friday night. As long as you stay aware that there are other ears in the vicinity, you should be OK. Post that same conversation on your Facebook page and you’re asking for trouble. It doesn’t much matter how tightly you set your security settings, chances are someone you don’t want to see it, is going to see it.
A picture posted on Facebook or Instagram may be hilarious to you and your buddies, but not so funny to someone else, especially if it puts officiating in a bad light.
Your partner left you hanging so you email another local official, who forwards it to another, who forwards it … you get the idea. Once you hit send on that email, you have lost control of the message.
“You need to assume there’s no such thing as privacy,” says Goldberger about all forms of electronic communications, including email. “You never know where it will turn up or when, or in what context. It just underscores that if you’re going to be an official that you understand the ethics.”
Online postings can lead to questions about your credibility, impartiality and objectivity; especially if the topic is teams, coaches or players. “Our entire stock in trade is based on impartiality. If we don’t appear to be impartial, we might as well not be,” adds Goldberger. “At the very least, you’ll demonstrate that you have biases, and that you’re not circumspect enough to keep your feelings to yourself.”
Since email and social media sites can easily get officials in trouble if they aren’t careful, association leaders should educate their officials and make sure they are aware of the pitfalls. Associations can set up policies concerning internet posts, which will not only protect the officials in the group, but also the association itself.
Goldberger says the topic should serve as reminder that officials are always officials. “You’re always under scrutiny and what you say is deemed significant by somebody,” he said. “So, you need to be careful about what you say to prevent giving the wrong impression.”
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