Four’s Company ...

[Dad]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Thanks for the help with the format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. guys.

After sending a copy to the upper-ups in my local board, they requested that I not publish the article, that this reminder about our board policy (even after changes in our ratings system) should come from somebody way above my pay scale, so I turned the article over to them. They may publish it under their names (more clout), or they may use the article as an outline for discussion at a future board meeting.

It's now in their hands (frankly, where it belongs). My intention all along was to bring the existing policy to the attention of our membership, it doesn't matter to me how it gets there.

You guys that helped me didn't waste your time. I sent them a nice final draft of the article to work from. Thanks.

Now write an article on why you should be doing 3man.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Dad

Now write an article on why you should be doing 3man.

Such an article would be directed at (get ready for a surprise) coaches. Here, in Connecticut, it's the coaches, actually the basketball coaches in the state coaches association, that are preventing the expansion of three person crews throughout most of the state.

The coaches lobby is very strong here in Connecticut, and the state interscholastic sports governing body doesn't take a step without their approval. The basketball coaches are lead by the winningest coaches, they're the most vocal, and for the most part, they all play very up tempo, full court, in your face, man to man defense, and they all believe (right, or wrong) that a third official will stifle this coaching philosophy.

It's not the athletic directors, or principals. It's not about money (it may be a little bit about money). It's not about training officials (just give us some lead time). The winningest, and most powerful, coaches don't want three person crews, so they don't get three person crews.

[Dad]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Such an article would be directed at (get ready for a surprise) coaches. Here, in Connecticut, it's the coaches, actually the basketball coaches in the state coaches association, that are preventing the expansion of three person crews throughout most of the state.

The coaches lobby is very strong here in Connecticut, and the state interscholastic sports governing body doesn't take a step without their approval. The basketball coaches are lead by the winningest coaches, they're the most vocal, and for the most part, they all play very up tempo, full court, in your face, man to man defense, and they all believe (right, or wrong) that a third official will stifle this coaching philosophy.

It's not the athletic directors, or principals. It's not about money (it may be a little bit about money). It's not about training officials (just give us some lead time). The most powerful coaches don't want three person crews, so they don't get three person crews.

This is really interesting and I'm not sure what to make of it.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Dad

This is really interesting and I'm not sure what to make of it.

Our state interscholastic sports governing body doesn't mandate three person crews until the quarterfinal round of the state tournament.

Here, in my local area, we may use three person crews for a few league, or conference, finals. Regular season games? Very few, and far between, maybe for a few big city, or Catholic high school, rivalries.

The rest of Connecticut? I used to think that one of the other Connecticut local boards did a lot of three person regular season games, but I was recently informed by a Connecticut colleague that I was, sadly, mistaken.

[BryanV21]

So the officials get very little, if any, work doing 3-man mechanics before the biggest games of the year?

Yeah... that makes a ton of sense.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

So the officials get very little, if any, work doing 3-man mechanics before the biggest games of the year?

Exactly. I observed an outstanding young official last year who worked his first state tournament quarterfinal game on the same night that he worked his first three person game. His partners did a lot of pointing, telling him where to go. He's a bright young man, a quick learner, had a great game, but it still didn't make a lot of sense.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

So the officials get very little, if any, work doing 3-man mechanics before the biggest games of the year?

Yeah... that makes a ton of sense.

In many of the areas that make the switch to 3-person for the playoffs or the latter rounds of the postseason the lack of experience with the system is solved by bringing in college officials to work those contests.
Most of those officials will have worked significantly fewer high school games during the season than a high school-only official and the college game is called a little differently too. So this leads to a debate on the fairness of assigning playoff games to such officials. Does the association/state office reward the HS official for all of his effort the whole season or does it put the guy more familiar with the 3-person system out there for the biggest games of the year? What do the coaches want? I've heard the coaches complain that the playoff games are called differently from the regular season contests. I believe that they are correct, but I don't think that they fully grasp why. The explanation is two-fold. First, having a third official allows the crew to observe more and so more gets whistled. Secondly, the officials are mostly not the same people that they've seen all season. The college officials do call the game somewhat differently as they are used to emphasizing different aspects.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

What do the coaches want?

In Connecticut, the coaches (all coaches, winners, losers, in the state tournament, not in the state tournament) vote for state tournament officials. The more votes an official receives, the deeper that official goes into the state tournament.

[jpgc99]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Such an article would be directed at (get ready for a surprise) coaches. Here, in Connecticut, it's the coaches, actually the basketball coaches in the state coaches association, that are preventing the expansion of three person crews throughout most of the state.

The coaches lobby is very strong here in Connecticut, and the state interscholastic sports governing body doesn't take a step without their approval. The basketball coaches are lead by the winningest coaches, they're the most vocal, and for the most part, they all play very up tempo, full court, in your face, man to man defense, and they all believe (right, or wrong) that a third official will stifle this coaching philosophy.

It's not the athletic directors, or principals. It's not about money (it may be a little bit about money). It's not about training officials (just give us some lead time). The winningest, and most powerful, coaches don't want three person crews, so they don't get three person crews.

I bet there are more incorrect fouls being called than being missed. In two person, you have to guess a lot. In my experience, guessing usually leads to more incorrect calls than more incorrect no calls.

If I were in Connecticut, I'd put a long film together highlighting all of the incorrect calls that are a result of having poor coverage from only two officials. Have your board send that to the coaches.

Then you can take that official that is asked to sit around and watch a game and actually put him to work on the floor.

[BlueDevilRef]

[QUOTE=jpgc99;971139]I bet there are more incorrect fouls being called than being missed. In two person, you have to guess a lot.

Wrong.

If you are covering your PCA, you aren't guessing. Call what you see, no guessing allowed. Period.


I wish I had a cool signature

[Rich]

[QUOTE=BlueDevilRef;971140]

Originally Posted by jpgc99

I bet there are more incorrect fouls being called than being missed. In two person, you have to guess a lot.

Wrong.

If you are covering your PCA, you aren't guessing. Call what you see, no guessing allowed. Period.


I wish I had a cool signature

Right. I have a bridge to sell right over there......