[Mwanr1]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Done generally right, it does mean the accuracy of the calls will improve and the call selection improves. It doesn't mean there are more foul calls. Even if they are, it will generally lead to a cleaner and better flowing game.

In 10-15 minutes, you can teach a good, intelligent 2-person official a poor-man's version of 3-person and you'll instantly have better coverage simply due to the smaller areas of responsibility and better angles. You do it with no live-ball rotations and only basic primary areas. They may not be the smoothest with dead ball switches and rotations but just about anything they do will work and the only people that will even know the difference would be other officials. This doesn't give you all of what 3-person has to offer but it gets you most of it.

Even full 3-person is just not THAT complicated....it is simply an elitist attitude to claim so. I think that most officials can pick it up in just a few games if they are working with partners who already know it. So, the quality you get is largely a matter of how you phase it in.

Now, if you were to look at the other angle...who that 3rd person would be, you might have a different point. Assuming your top 100 officials were working your top 50 games on any given night, you now need 150 officials to cover the same number of games. You'll have officials getting games they otherwise wouldn't be getting.

Assuming that 2 of the 3 are the same two that would have been on the game already, those two will not drop in quality with the addition of a third. The third might be a little softer but in the long run it would far better to bring in a greener official with two vets in a crew of three than with one vet in a crew of two. You'll also have younger officials getting opportunities sooner and also get veteran officials that can keep up a little longer.

3-person is generally a plus in nearly every area....but no one should let the schools get away without paying for it.

well said...but there aren't too many " intelligent 2-person official " out there that don't know 3-person. T