Accountability for Officials--How Far Should It Go?

In today's world its all about being politically correct, striving not to offend someone, and being held accountable for your actions.  After reading the article below, I began to think seriously about our level of accountability as tennis officials.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-college-referees-20161130-story.html

At the USTA level, almost anyone can file a grievance or a complaint against any official for any reason and it is "somewhat" dealt with.  It is sent to a grievance committee at the state level and then if warranted, it is sent to a grievance committee at the local level (if they even have one).  Then a letter is sent to the one who filed the complaint and one to the official and that's that...

At the ITA level, the process is a little more developed.  We don't have reporters questioning our rulings or calls (unlike what they do at the professional level) but there are procedures if you are officiating in a collegiate conference.  Overall though, the issue of ACCOUNTABILITY basically lies with the referee who hired you.

One of the most embarrassing moments for any official would be to be removed from the chair during a match (and I have only seen that happen 2 times in over 20 years of officiating) but there are other ways we can be held accountable.  The referee can personally discuss your performance (or lack thereof) with you and might even go so far as to quit using you but these are still viable options for holding an official accountable.  If an official continually misses calls, makes bad rulings, or is otherwise incompetent, then perhaps they do need to be removed or at least given more training.

Here are some thoughts on holding an official accountable:

*  Realize that officials are human beings and do (and will continue) to make mistakes.
*  A pattern of ineptness is what should raise white flags of concern.
*  Referees can and should hold their umpires accountable.  Don't be Attila the Hun but do be cognizant of bad performances.
*  Officials should not rebel against being held accountable.  Listen and learn from your mistakes.
*  Don't get defensive if your referee has a talk with you about your job performance.  Its much worse out there in the rest of the job world.
*  Remember you are being paid (and paid well most of the time) so your referee and your employer have the right to expect a good product.  That means you need to know what you are doing and do it well!
*  We do need to develop some system for additional training for officials who are struggling.
*  An irate coach/player is not the right person to be holding an official accountable.  Keep it within realms of reason.
*  If a coach/player politely questions you or your ruling, don't get overly-sensitive and hyperventilate.  Sometimes you are wrong and they are right...
*  If you have made an error, its not always a bad thing to admit it and go on.  A coach/player will have more respect for you if you admit a mistake than if you stubbornly reject anything they have to say.

Here are three guidelines to remember when you are doing your own self-evaluation.