[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by zebraman

This was approved a week ago at the WIAA executive board meeting. I have spoken with many officials and AD's since then and there are many ruffled feathers.

Actually, 3-person will be used at state AND at districts. Whether or not regular-season games will be 2-person or 3-person will be negotiated between the local associations and their leagues.

Lots of details yet to be worked out in the long run. Fees for varsity games the next 3 years drop from $48.00 per game (2 person) to $33.00 per game. Lots of officials unhappy about that. Officials are in favor of 3-person, but many officials I've talked to feel sold out by the way it is being implemented. I can understand why officials would feel that way. The schools voted 3-person down several times because of cost. Now the officials will bear the brunt of the cost rather than the schools.

From what I understand, the AD's of the 4A schools that voted against it felt that the 3-year plan was unfair to already underpaid officials.

This is a 3-year trial period. Schools can vote to go back to 2-person after 3 years. If they approve 3-person at all levels after 3-years, fees for 3-person will be 85% of the 2-person fee. Many AD's I've talked to have already made up their minds that it isn't worth the additional cost and are convinced they will vote it down after 3 years. The initial proposal required schools to accept 3-person after 3 years at 85% of the 2-person fee, but the proposal was changed to give them a "back out clause." That gives you an idea of how likely the schools will be to accept it after 3 years. It will be all-or-nothing and other than 3A and 4A varsity boys, I don't think schools feel like 3-person is necessary nor worth the expense.

By the way, Washington is also going to expand the coaches box from 6-feet to 14-feet.

The WOA will have a meeting on August 13 to give out more of the details of how this will all be worked out. It should be a raucous affair.

Z

I thought that you might be interested in how the transition to 3-man was handled in the nearby state of Nevada. 1998-99 was the first season 3-man was used in both the regular season (for 4A [largest class] Boys and Girls Varsity games) and the playoffs for the all levels. At the time the 2-man fee was $50 per official. The 3-man fee became $40. I think that is fair since 3-man is so much easier physically. You just don't have as much area to cover. Nevada has been 3-man ever since. The fees have gone up over the years too. 2-man went to $50.75 for 99-00 and 00-01, $51.75 for 01-02, $53.75 for 02-03, and $55 for 03-04. During the same years 3-man went to $41.25, $42, $43.75, and $45.
I learned earlier this summer that the coaches and ADs voted to return to 2-man this coming season. It is not yet clear if that will happen, since the 3-man contract runs through this coming season.
I don't know if the $135 will be split two ways for a game fee of $67.50 or if the fee for 4A V games will become $55.
Ironically, we went to the 14' coaching box last season. I told our board that if we revert to 2-man, then the coaching box should revert as well. Or maybe disappear completely, like that 3rd official. It is probably the biggest point of leverage the officials have.
The coaches main complaint is that they believe they are getting two V officials and one JV official for their 3-man crews. They are thinking that they will be eliminating that JV official. Of course, we know that things don't work that way in assigning officials.