I will repeat, with emphasis ...
1) MANY parents know the rules/laws as well as, if not better than, the officials (and even some coaches). You should not presume otherwise. Good coaches/officials coopt and empower parents on an individual (and ultimately collective) basis; they don't just dismiss them as a group.
2) When poor work rate and/or conditioning affect an official's performance, he/she should be called to task, REGARDLESS of age. That CLEARLY does not happen in our state.
3) Poor officiating doesn't just decide outcomes. It can lead to injuries/violent behavior/etc.
My solution: Stop "accepting." Start making constructive changes consistent with the spirit in which they are offered. As to the SCHSL and the 2-man or 3-man issue, participating schools should be required to hire/pay 3-person crews. The reason is simple: In the event of an unusual circumstance preventing a scheduled official from showing up, you can STILL go with a 2-person crew.
If/when an official fails to appear WITHOUT A DARN GOOD EXCUSE, he/she should be: 1) Warned; 2) Fined; 3) Suspended; 4) Removed from the rolls. If/when a school fails to pay for 3-person crews, it should be placed on probationary status until it corrects the problem.
One final thing: Poor officiating is a problem in ALL sports; not just ours. But that doesn't make it any more acceptable.
