Fairbanks Basketball Officials Association

12/16/2025

Shot clock had arrived in Alaska!
4A games will now have a shot clock, which means we are recruiting for operators!
This is a paying position.
Join us this week to learn more!

12/14/2024

Big thanks to all the teams who showed up for today’s jamboree. This is a great opportunity for us to shake the dust off and prepare!

10/20/2024

Happy Sunday! 🤪

Saturday morning smiles...

09/05/2024

Rules Changes are here …. are you ready?

05/08/2024

Every sport needs more officials. Join the ranks!

03/16/2024

Congratulations to the Interior team, Fort Yukon Eagles on their victory as the 1A Girls State Champions.

03/09/2024

Three of San Diego's finest officials on the High School Boy’s Open Final @ UCSD, featuring two of my really good friends.

We joked around before the game how as little as five years ago, this kind of crew would be impossible to imagine getting this far. One very prominent Southern California playoff assignor (who pretty much held the keys to the playoff kingdom) even told the Crew Chief to his face that despite being a very good official, he'd never be assigned to a very high profile game.

Why?

Tattoos. Glasses.

If those things weren't what popped into your mind upon seeing this picture: good for you! Nowadays, nobody should care. However, these officials were long plagued for not fitting into an archaic prototypical "look" that the old heads wanted of their crews.

A few years later...the times change. The old heads fade out. Now the same referees that were getting passed over are getting Finals and State games. The modern assignor cares about one thing and pretty much one thing only: CAN YOU MANAGE THE GAME? This whole bias notion of "perception is reality" is the Flat Earth Theory of sports officiating and is only going to make you look ignorant in the long run.

Granted, not all parts of the country are this inclusive nor this progressive. Also, don't get me wrong: there is still "a look," of physical fitness, a kempt appearance, and an intangible alpha demeanor that you have to acquire in order to be respected on the court. I also wouldn't necessarily recommend looking like Takashi 69. 😜 There's healthy limits to everything, including tattoos.

However just know that this notion of a certain "look" is dynamic and changes with the times. Don't let anybody tell you that you'll never make it to whatever level you aspire just because you don't "look the part." Continue being yourself and working hard on your game management skills. Eventually you'll find yourself in a good spot where your abilities, above all else, become appreciated and rewarded.

Congratulations to my friends and everybody else that achieved their desired playoff and collegiate success.

02/09/2024

It’s been awhile since we’ve posted, because we’ve been BUSY! We are now in the thick of the season. It’s the time of year when schedules change daily, injuries start to pop up, exhaustion sets in and assigners lose their hair 😉

Thank an official today.

You might not agree with the calls, but we can all agree games wouldn’t happen without them. A simple “thanks for being here” goes a long way for morale!

01/01/2024

Best wishes from all of us at FBOA! Happy 2024!

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas from FBOA. Are you watching a game today?