[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Is it common in your area for officials to be put in situations such as this?

Very common here in my little corner of Connecticut. 99% of our regular season games are two person games. Only one of the leagues that we service uses three person crews, and only for the semifinal, and finals, of the boys (not the girls) league playoffs. Three person crews are used only for the state tournament in the quarterfinals through the championship games.

I worked a game last week with one of the top officials on our local board. Although he will certainly get to work a three man game in a few weeks during the league and state tournament, he hasn't worked a three person game yet this season. There are a few college officials on our local board who are very familiar with the three person game, but the majority of our local officials have very little experience with a three person game.

Why? Although money does play an important role here, it's actually the coaches who don't want a three person game. They're afraid that it would lead to extra whistles in the game and slow down the game. The coaches that play the most aggressive defense, are the most vocal, and since they have had a history of being the most successful, they seem to have a greater "say" in the matter.