Hello Val,

 

This is not the design of the officials module and is not currently possible.  The feedback from most centres using the officials module is that this would create more work for both the officials (because they're probably available more often than they are not) and eventually create more work for the assignor (because the pool of available officials will probably no longer include people who actually are available but just haven't told the system that they are).  Hope that helps,

 

Shaun

 

I agree with Val that it would be ideal to have officials have to tell when they are available, as opposed to when they are not.  Ultimately, the current format creates more work for schedulers, since we assign games based on the availability list, and then end up reassigning them because officials deny games for times they have not bothered to set blocks for.  There is no incentive for officials to set blocks, whereas there would be definite incentive to set availability:  if they didn't, they wouldn't ever be available, and they would never get any games. 

I agree with the incentive comment regarding this.  Though my area has the no-decline option.  If games are assigned based on availability, it is up to the official to either skate that game or find a replacement.  If they can't find a replacement and they blow the game off, they're suspended.