Three Person Game In Connecticut ...
 

Do not try to adjust your computer monitor. You read the title correctly the first time. I worked a three person game tonight. That's right. In Connecticut.

Illness and injuries have had a major impact on the availability of junior varsity officials recently. We don't usually do junior varsity/varsity doubleheaders here. Varsity coaches frown upon it, thinking that the officials will be tired for their varsity games.

So our assignment commissioner has occasionally scheduled three person junior varsity games, with one junior varsity official (who gets a full junior varsity game fee) and the two varsity officials (who split a junior varsity game fee). After the junior varsity game the two varsity officials work a normal two person varsity game, supposedly less tired than if the varsity officials had worked a two person junior varsity game.

Man, what a difference, physically. If we ever go to three person varsity games, my officiating career can be extended by several years.

You three person guys don't know how lucky you've got it.

What a great opportunity missed to give a JV official a shot to work a varsity game -- working 3-person in both.

I've worked almost 40 3-person games this season and no 2-person games. Haven't had a bit of soreness this year *at all* -- first time in a long, long time. I attribute a lot of that to not having to work the perimeter as the T as hard as you have to in a 2-person game.

3-person for JV and 2-person for Varsity?

That's... backwards.

We've got a few conferences around here that ask for 2 for JV and 3 for varsity... most of the time, we end up having all three officials work both games and split the combined fee equally... which means that we make about $7 less than we would if they paid full 3-person fee for both games. I'm hoping that goes away next year.

3-man JV crew...to a 2-man V crew

Logic!

Choices ...
 

The two varsity officials in the junior varsity game were given a choice (with input from the junior varsity official) of working a three person junior varsity game, or with the two varsity officials alternating junior varsity periods in a two person junior varsity game. We chose the former.

The purpose of this odd setup is to cover for a shortage of junior varsity officials. We had a recent explosion of magnet/charter schools needing officials for their games, and we only had sixteen new officials in this year's cadet class. Add that to a lot of illness, and injuries, this season, especially to subvarsity officials.

Not the best setup, but now the camel's got a nose under the side of the tent.

The decision to assign a 3 man JV crew followed by a 2 man Varsity crew is a worse decision than wearing a belt.

Billy:

I am sure you know the name Ed Ferrigno of Board 8. After he and his wife retired to Florida he continued to officiate girls' H.S. varsity into his early 70s because of three-man crews.

MTD, Sr.

Tired from a JV game? I can barely break a sweat in a JV game no matter how much I hustle.

We've all worked 2-man games on the way to 3-man. That's why we work so hard so hard to get all Varsity schedules or to get on to college staffs.

No it's not. At least it gives that young JV official some 3-man experience. Their other choice is to assign one of the Varsity official a 2-man DH.

You must have pretty boring JV games. Here, JV games have the speed and intensity of varsity games, just minus the skill. At least in the bigger schools, there's more working to me in the lower levels than at the varsity.

Why not assign that young JV official to the varsity game? Then he gets 3 man experience and Varsity experience. In the long run this approach would also help get the schools on board for 3 man varsity games.

Ultimately if the association/league have no desire to move to 3 man crews for varsity games, the experience at the JV level becomes irrelevant.

It's still a business. The school is only playing X amount of $$$ for those games, which equals the pay for a 2-man crew on each game. It's not leagues/associations that prevent 3-man crews, it's the schools.

The only time I work JV is part of BJV/BV doubleheaders for small schools. The games are, well, not very challenging. But even if I were doing higher level JV games, I'd sweat some, but I definitely wouldn't be in any way tired enough that it would affect me working a Varsity game behind it, especially with a 20 minute break.

We do pretty much nothing but 3 man crews where I'm at.

My take is that it is just as demanding physically if you are working hard and doing your job properly. I think the 3rd person makes it less taxing mentally as your PCA is smaller.

The 3 man crew is just better for fans, players, and coaches. You miss less with 3 guys out there.

You are correct there. You don't have to work the perimeter as hard, but I think overall, if you still hustle and do what you are supposed to do you come out of there physically tired.

Not saying that anybody on this board isn't hustling whether it's 2 man or 3 man.

I just feel the same physically in a 2 or 3 man game. Now an up and down game might be a little different. Especially if you get the luxury of being in the "C" for a good chunk of a game like that.

You said it man!

You are lucky to get what can be described as basketball in a lot of JV games.

My point is that I think different parts of the body are worked. The achilles tendonitis that has plagued me the last 10+ years hasn't touched me this season.

I still run as hard up and down the floor and still sweat just as much -- I just move *differently* in 2-person than I do in 3-person.

The schools around here were fighting 3 man crews for quite some time. Now most of them are loving it. They pay more, but they realize that 3 good officials makes the game better. Hiring 3 bad officials is the same thing as hiring a 2 man crew.

The schools are realizing that if you pay the appropriate amount to get 3 good officials, the night is way better. Heck, even 2 good officials can carry a 3rd guy if the 3rd guy isn't as good.

I think wherever all of you guys are at around the country, if your schools get a taste of 3 man and see the benefits, they will come around.

A big part of it for us was the state tourneys use 3 man crews. Why were we using 2 man crews during the season? Made no sense!

100% correct!!!!!!

If you are too tired to work a varsity game, boys or girls, after working a JV game with a 20 minute break, you probably need to not be officiating anymore and/or get yourself into better shape.

It's fun to hear how all of the different leagues, schools, states, associations, etc operate around the country. 2 man JV/Varsity crews forever here. Then a slow transition to 3 man crews, fought by the schools. Now most everybody is on board around here.

I hear ya! I think if you have any sort of ailment, a 3 man crew can help with that. Just another benefit!

Degrees Of Separation ...
 

Great official. Known statewide.

https://sp.yimg.com/xj/th?id=OIP.M4b...=0&w=300&h=300

More Officials, More Fouls ???
 

Most aren't ready for a game that "counts". Our junior varsity guy was a second year official.

We (officials) have the desire. The State interscholastic sports governing body has the desire. Coaches don't want three person crews. The successful coaches (who are the most vocal, and get the most attention) that press, and play man to man defense, believe it will lead to their best players getting in early foul trouble.

That's dumb as hell. If they're playing defense the way they're supposed to be, they won't get in foul trouble just because there's another guy in stripes on the floor.

Dumb Coaches ??? Is That Possible ???
 

These successful, vocal, powerful coaches (their coaches association acts as a lobby in dealing with our State interscholastic sports governing body) believe that an extra official will see extra fouls that might otherwise go undetected.

They will. More illegal screens, chucking the cutters, and other stuff away from the ball. But overall there won't be more fouls -- some plays that are currently called fouls will be seen better and no-called.

I give you credit, though. I've already decided if we ever go back to 2-person my days of working are over.

Snap ...
 

Get rid of the multisyllable words in your post and I'll forward it to the state basketball coaches association.

I guess there is JV and JV. The ref's (2 man) are certainly sweating and running in my son's games.

(I think they would really benefit from 3-man. Sometimes when parents around me are screaming "how could you miss that!", I want to turn around and explain that the play happened in a tough spot for a 2-man crew to have an angle on the play . . . and then I roll my eyes to myself and just watch the game . . .)

Sounds like you guys have to deal with a lot more crap than we do with your associations and powerful coaches etc. etc.

We have a statewide activities association that dictates to schools, A.Ds, and coaches and what is going to happen. There is a board of directors that are elected of course, but there aren't powerful coaches or associations making it harder than it has to be.

The move to 3 man crew has been great.

So basically these powerful coaches know they are getting away with things with a 2 man crew and aren't concerned on the game being officiated better and the game being better?

Well said Rich! That's exactly what a 3 man crew will catch.

I know we have boring JV games (or what mostly are called sophomore games here). The better players are moved up and not playing those games in the first place. And that includes the bigger schools. Even the fans are not into the game other than the parents of the players.

Peace

When my children are older and are playing basketball, I might not even sit by other parents. If the parents of my kids' teammates are as dumb as the people currently in the stands, I won't be able to take it. I probably won't be able to bite my tongue either.

On the flip side, I really hope I end up having the patience to teach the idiot parents in the stands the rules of the game and how/why things happen out there.

Several times a year I find JV games can be far more taxing on my body than varsity games. Unless we have a different idea of what JV is or your schools tend to be small and JV isn't very good. There are some 5A+ schools around here where the JV has all the athleticism of varsity, but very immature in their fundamentals. Far more running with turnovers and well run presses.

My most memorable game of the year was two top tier 5A rivalry schools going at it. In hind sight I was extremely happy to get the JV game and not the varsity. The varsity crew all wished they were on our game instead --they had a boring blowout. Probably the most I've run all year in a game.