SOUTHERN SECTION HEAD RIPS REFS.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer

Branding referees for high school girls' basketball games as ``terrible,'' Southern Section commissioner Dean Crowley is calling on officiating supervisors to review their criteria for choosing referees for postseason assignments.

Crowley ripped the officiating at recent girls' playoff games, saying at a Marmonte League meeting last week that the referees' performances affected sportsmanship, the flow of the game and the level of play.

And Crowley is not alone.

``I felt all year that the officiating was horrendous,'' said veteran Alemany girls' coach Melissa Hearlihy, who joins other area coaches in saying many officials are unfocused, inexperienced and lazy.

Many of the top referees choose to work only boys' games, creating immediate disparity.

Some officials complain of a ``good ol' boy network'' that allows less competent referees to officiate major girls' and boys' games while qualified officials are shut out.

``It's a combination of all of those things,'' said Bell-Jeff coach Jim Couch, who led the Guards to the Southern Section Division IV championship this year. ``And when you get right down to it, it really affects the game on the floor.''

Hearlihy said she has seen referees jogging and in some cases walking up the court to get in position.

``In boys' games, you'll see officials sprinting down court to get to spots,'' Hearlihy said. ``To me, it shows a total lack of respect.''

Ed Baker, who assigns referees in the San Fernando Valley area, concedes work ethic is a problem among girls' basketball officials, a result of a lack of competition for plum assignments.

San Fernando referees are graded throughout the regular season by a committee made up of fellow referees and assigners, with the top-ranked officials gaining postseason work. Because many officials prefer to work only boys' games, the pool for their games is larger.

As a result, Baker and some other area assigners are trying to convince more of the top officials to work boys' and girls' games in the future.

``But many of them just want to do boys' basketball,'' said Cal Huston, who assigns officials in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and defended the officials in his area of responsibility from Crowley's charge.

``I feel those comments are harsh,'' he said. ``That's not the way it is out here.''

Everyone agrees attracting more women referees is critical, but there is a dilemma.

In order to attract more women, women must work big games. But some are inexperienced.

``I'm all for equality,'' Hearlihy said. ``But at the same time, I want the best officials.''