Assigner uses Placeholders to Assign

[johnnyg08]

Do any of you either as an assigner or work for an assigner who uses placeholders as a routine when they assign/schedule? This wouldn't necessarily be only for tournaments...but regular season stuff. 

For example, let's say that they know that they will need 10 crews on X day, but they don't have the schedules yet so they send something out that locks in 20 umpires on a given day...and upon receipt of the schedules, redistributes those assignments across the ten crews. 

Or for the inevitable reschedules, last minute changes, or emergencies...to have umpires ready to go versus having to send it out, wait for a response, only for find out that they can't do it? Or be able to more definitively tell clients if they can/can't cover a reschedule in a timely manner. 

There would also be a possibility that an umpire who was on a placeholder could be scratched and not work at all. Let's say that they only work for one association and wouldn't necessarily be losing an assignment b/c of a placeholder. Multiple association umpires would likely have a problem with a placeholder assignment OR they could simply say...I have an actual assignment that came up, please remove the placeholder. OR...they could choose to not accept placeholder assignments and just wait and see. 

If yes, what is your experience with it...what are the good things? What are the challenges/frustrations? 

Thanks! 

[The Man in Blue]

Ha!  I wish my local assignors put that much effort into it!

OK, there is one who has asked me to hold dates he knew about but didn't have details on, but it isn't a regular practice.

I think that a smart assignor would do that.  The trick is, as you pointed out, if the assignor overbooks or if a team changes things.  Most of the time, I would think that would be caught far enough in advance to provide an adequate solution.  If it is short notice, I am expecting to get paid by somebody (I don't care who) because I passed up other opportunties.

There was one summer ball outfit that I worked for that would hire a "standby" umpire for the weekend.  You got a game pay for each round, whether you worked it or not.  You had to stay on site, and typically were used as relief to keep things moving (e.g., go take the last inning on the bases so that guy could go get his gear on).  

The potential issues there though are the types of things we need to organize and fight against.  Our time is not valueless. 

Slight tangent, but I am pushing back on "the Arbiter assignment is your contract" because TPTB only want that when it is convenient for them.  More than once, I have had a night scheduled for a V+JV innings, only to arrive and find there is no JV.  Most schools will pay us for this (it is what we were contracted for).  There are a few who have started booking everything as V+JV, but not paying you for it if there was no JV (they literally write two different checks and instruct the coach/admin not to give you the second one).  I have been encouraging fellow umpires to also push back on this when it happens to them.  

Flip side, showing up and being informed "We want to play JV."  Places will pay for this, but the point I have been pushing back on is that it is disrespectful to assume "you are here, so you may as well spend all night here."  We have one school who refuses to contract the JV innings.  I refuse to stay for them.  I wouldn't mind, as it is the closest games I can get to my house, but there is a point to make here.

[BLarson]

I don't know if I would like it.   There are several complexes around my house.
I don't want to commit to a day/time, and then be forced to drive out of town or out of state because I missed out on the games close to me.

[johnnyg08]

4 minutes ago, BLarson said:

I don't know if I would like it.   There are several complexes around my house.
I don't want to commit to a day/time, and then be forced to drive out of town or out of state because I missed out on the games close to me.

That's a fair take. Especially with several complexes in your immediate area and if there are multiple assigners in that area. 

 

[The Man in Blue]

2 hours ago, BLarson said:

I don't know if I would like it.   There are several complexes around my house.
I don't want to commit to a day/time, and then be forced to drive out of town or out of state because I missed out on the games close to me.

Which is why I toss out the notion that me blocking the date is the value of a contract.  If you ask me to block it and I agree, I need to be paid if you (assignor) goofed.

[Thatsnotyou]

If I hold a date for you/conference/schools, and then I don’t get a game out of it (and likely don’t know until that day), I should be compensated somehow. I get why assignors do it - it rains and I have guys held. But if you don’t have games, only the umpire suffers? It’s overbooking the flight with no repercussions.  
 

That or TBDs have to be agreed upon going in. I’m willingly clicking on this - I’m OK if I work, I’m OK if I don’t. Don’t assign me a TBD and tell me it’s a contractually held date.