State Tournament Assignments

[SD Referee]

I find it interesting that a lot of you guys talk about associations on a regular basis. We do not have associations. We are all licensed by the state and monitored by the state high school association. We are split up into regions with a region coordinator in charge of each region.

Our postseason is split up into districts, regions, then the state tourney. The participating schools of each district have a meeting to select the officials they want from the area. Once that is done, one AD from one of the schools is put in charge of the district. That person decides who works which games. The winners of two separate districts will meet in the region championship. The officials assigned to that game is a mixture of officials from the two districts that make up the region.

The region winners go on to the state tourney. The officials for the state tourney are selected by a committee put together by the state high school association. 12 officials per 8 team state tourney. Our region coordinators put together a list of officials that they recommend for the state tourney. The committee at the state level uses this information in their selection process. You cannot work a boys and a girls tourney in the same year.

Up until recently, you saw a lot of the same old guys at the state tourneys. Most guys could just put it on their calendar regardless of whether they could really do the job at a high level anymore. Regardless of whether some newer younger officials were maybe "better". Now recently we are seeing a shift from the old guard to newer younger officials that can maybe do the job at a higher level. They are recognizing that our pool of officials is getting pretty old and that they need to move on to the new crop of guys. As long as they are qualified and capable of doing the job at a high level.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SD Referee

I find it interesting that a lot of you guys talk about associations on a regular basis. We do not have associations. We are all licensed by the state and monitored by the state high school association. We are split up into regions with a region coordinator in charge of each region.

Our postseason is split up into districts, regions, then the state tourney. The participating schools of each district have a meeting to select the officials they want from the area. Once that is done, one AD from one of the schools is put in charge of the district. That person decides who works which games. The winners of two separate districts will meet in the region championship. The officials assigned to that game is a mixture of officials from the two districts that make up the region.

The region winners go on to the state tourney. The officials for the state tourney are selected by a committee put together by the state high school association. 12 officials per 8 team state tourney. Our region coordinators put together a list of officials that they recommend for the state tourney. The committee at the state level uses this information in their selection process. You cannot work a boys and a girls tourney in the same year.

Up until recently, you saw a lot of the same old guys at the state tourneys. Most guys could just put it on their calendar regardless of whether they could really do the job at a high level anymore. Regardless of whether some newer younger officials were maybe "better". Now recently we are seeing a shift from the old guard to newer younger officials that can maybe do the job at a higher level. They are recognizing that our pool of officials is getting pretty old and that they need to move on to the new crop of guys. As long as they are qualified and capable of doing the job at a high level.

The *schools* select the officials? Interesting.

I've often thought there's too much an emphasis on crews around here. Personally, I feel I can walk on the floor with people I haven't met before and if we can all do the job, it won't show in the game. Others disagree with me. I have worked at least 10 games this season with people I'd never worked with before and most of them have gone well. All where the other 2 officials can do the job have.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

I'm still curious about limits on how many state games an official gets. The example from IL of 3 Finals period for officials seems a bit extreme to me but I can see the rationale.

That is not the policy at all. They just give other officials a chance than just keep sending officials back over and over and over again. The only standing policy is that you can only go back two years in a row, then you must sit a year. The current administrator tries to rotate people around as there are over 5000 officials statewide. Not everyone is going to get a shot, but those that do will not be there year after year.

We also have 4 classes with 4 separate State Final Weekends going by gender and class.

Girls 1A-2A (Last weekend)
Girls 3A-4A (This weekend)
Boys 1A-2A (Nest weekend)
Boys 3A-4A (Following weekend)

There are officials that have worked 3 in one of the weekends only to go a few more times in another weekend.

Peace

[SD Referee]

Originally Posted by Rich

The *schools* select the officials? Interesting.

I've often thought there's too much an emphasis on crews around here. Personally, I feel I can walk on the floor with people I haven't met before and if we can all do the job, it won't show in the game. Others disagree with me. I have worked at least 10 games this season with people I'd never worked with before and most of them have gone well. All where the other 2 officials can do the job have.

By schools, I mean the AD's get together and have a meeting to agree on the officials they want. They do not hire "crews". They hire guys they feel do the job well. Honestly, we don't really have crews here. We all work with a variety of guys during the year.

I agree with you on your crew stance. I don't need to work with the same guys every game, and in fact, I don't. I work with many different officials during the year. Good officials. If we all do our job, there is no effect on me or the game.

Every game in our state tourney is with a crew of 3 that likely have not worked together before, or have very few times.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by SD Referee

....

Up until recently, you saw a lot of the same old guys at the state tourneys. Most guys could just put it on their calendar regardless of whether they could really do the job at a high level anymore. Regardless of whether some newer younger officials were maybe "better". Now recently we are seeing a shift from the old guard to newer younger officials that can maybe do the job at a higher level. They are recognizing that our pool of officials is getting pretty old and that they need to move on to the new crop of guys. As long as they are qualified and capable of doing the job at a high level.

In 2009, specifically to combat commissioners who refused to send up new names, the VHSL instituted a "State Evaluation" camp in order to identify new officials to work the state tournament. The first 2 years of the camp the commissioner of my local association refused to submit names. He got voted out for that and other reasons. That ouster led to the political nightmare which caused me to take my services up to Richmond.

The Peninsula (1/2 of Hampton Roads) is still a mess 6 years after that election.

[BubbaRef]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

That is not the policy at all. They just give other officials a chance than just keep sending officials back over and over and over again. The only standing policy is that you can only go back two years in a row, then you must sit a year. The current administrator tries to rotate people around as there are over 5000 officials statewide. Not everyone is going to get a shot, but those that do will not be there year after year.

We also have 4 classes with 4 separate State Final Weekends going by gender and class.

Girls 1A-2A (Last weekend)
Girls 3A-4A (This weekend)
Boys 1A-2A (Nest weekend)
Boys 3A-4A (Following weekend)

There are officials that have worked 3 in one of the weekends only to go a few more times in another weekend.

Peace

I am working my 3rd and final trip this year in 3A/4A girls in Illinois. My first trip was in '11 and my second was in '13 so my times have been spaced out.

I do like how our boys side pair you up with your partners at the Sectional level, giving you 3 games to work together before you reach the State Finals. Where on the girls side you don't find out until the night before you work who you are with and what time. Different philosophies I guess.

[Remington]

In ND we have a multi-faceted approach. Coaches will nominate names and subsequently vote. Then, the 8 site supervisors across the state will nominate 20 officials state wide that they feel are most qualified. Our 8 site supervisors are all good collegiate officials so their input is very valuable. Then, the state governing body will select the officials from those lists. We send 12 officials to each state tournament. Class A & B (boys and girls). We are permitted to work 3 consecutive state tournaments and then you must sit a year to help allow for new blood. I generally like our system as it allows coaches some input but won't allow for a coach to black ball a good official because the site supervisors and state governing body will have their say.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BubbaRef

I am working my 3rd and final trip this year in 3A/4A girls in Illinois. My first trip was in '11 and my second was in '13 so my times have been spaced out.

I do like how our boys side pair you up with your partners at the Sectional level, giving you 3 games to work together before you reach the State Finals. Where on the girls side you don't find out until the night before you work who you are with and what time. Different philosophies I guess.

Well that only works in the Sectional Level, it is possible we could get split up and sometimes are split up. We were split up in the State Finals on the final day and the crews that worked the title games did not work together. And there have been years the administrator has broken up the Sectional Crews to work the Super. That could happen this year.

Peace

[BatteryPowered]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

Interesting that in WA and TX the finals crew seems to be selected from the crews that worked the semis or previous rounds if I'm understanding correctly.

Seems like it could cause some scheduling conflicts not knowing if you are working a final until after the semis and also seems to limit the pool of officials getting games. Does seem to have the potential to reward the best officials based on performance in the state playoffs.

At least in Texas, this is not an issue as the semi-finals for three of the six classes are played on Thursday with the remainder played on Friday. Finals are played on Saturday. All games at the same arena (Alamodome in San Antonio this year). The officials are all at the same site so the only travel is from the hotel to the arena. And, since they have selected the officials for the semi-finals the size of the pool will never change.

[BillyMac]

Connecticut: 100% IAABO, six local IAABO Boards.

The state interscholastic sports governing body assigns all state tournament officials, using Arbiter. Connecticut is a geographically small state and officials can be assigned a state tournament game anywhere in the state, with the maximum one way trip being about one hundred miles.

There are four classes based on school enrollments, however there are exceptions for magnet schools, charter schools, Catholic schools, etc., that have a history of being successful in the state tournament and draw students (it ain't recruiting, wink, wink) from a large geographic area.

Schools that win at least 40% of their regular season games make the state tournament. All coaches, even those that don’t make the state tournament, vote for officials. Officials that receive the most votes are put into a pool that are assigned state tournament games, with some tinkering based on the number of schools that a local Board services. The more votes an official receives, the more likely he is to work further into the state tournament.

Almost all of the local Boards have their officials select either the boys tournament, or the girls tournament. At least one local Board allows their officials to work state tournament games of both genders.

If a state tournament game involves a school from Board A, and a school from Board B, the game will be officiated by officials from one of the other four local Boards. Officials will always work with officials from their own local Board.

If a state tournament game involves two schools from Board A, the game will probably be officiated by Board A officials, although there are exceptions.

State tournament games up to the quarterfinals are two person games. Quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, are three person games.

State finals, in all four enrollment classes, for both genders (eight championship games), are played at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

That's right, high school kids at an Indian casino, some playing championship basketball games a Sunday.

"Baby needs a new pair of basketball shoes".

[justsumguy3]

Working the WV tournament requires a good deal of commitment in my opinion. 3 officials are chosen from each regional board and will work their games together. They report on Tuesday night for a meeting and will work a quarterfinal game on Wednesday and another quarterfinal on Thursday. They will work a semi on Friday and if they're one of the top 3 crews (of 6), they will receive a state final on Saturday.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by justsumguy3

Working the WV tournament requires a good deal of commitment in my opinion. 3 officials are chosen from each regional board and will work their games together. They report on Tuesday night for a meeting and will work a quarterfinal game on Wednesday and another quarterfinal on Thursday. They will work a semi on Friday and if they're one of the top 3 crews (of 6), they will receive a state final on Saturday.

That is similar to how it works in Oregon, except we're selected as individuals.

We still work 2 person crews at the state tournament level. For each classification, 12 officials are needed. The 12 are provided by the associations around the state proportional to the number of schools serviced by each association at that classification. For each classification, the boys and girls play at the same site over a 3 or 4 day period starting at the quarter finals. Every official will get at least 1 quarter final, maybe 2. 8 of the 12 will get semis. 4 will get championships.


4 day format (1 court):

• Day 1: Girls Quarterfinals....8 officials work
• Day 2: Girls Consolation bracket Semifinals & Boys Quarterfinals...12 officials work
• Day 3: Boys Consolation bracket Semifinals & Boys & Girls Semifinals....12 officials work
• Day 4: Boys and Girls Consolation Bracket finals, 3rd place games & Championship games 12 officials work.

All officials work the last 3 days....so you could have 3 or 4 days in a row.


3 day format (2 courts):

• Day 1: Boys & Girls Quarterfinals....12 officials work, 4 work twice
• Day 2: Boys & Girls Consolation bracket Semifinals & Boys & Girls Semifinals...12 officials...4 work twice
• Day 3: Boys and Girls Consolation Bracket finals, 3rd place games & Championship games....12 officials work.

All officials work all 3 days....some working twice in a day but never more than 4 games total. When it is twice in day, there are several hours between the assignments.

[SCalScoreKeeper]

CIF-SS Playoffs:

Boys and Girls Open Division (Best of the Best) and Divisions 1aa-6:In all 26 classifications of basketball

*2 person assignments for the first two nights (our school's 2nd rd game was 3 person at the host school's request)

*3 person mandated quarterfinals and forward

*Neighboring associations cover games (unlike in volleyball where the policy is to use local crews thru the semifinals)
-For example: Our school is CBOA (California Basketball Officials Association) Inland Unit.We were officiated by the following associations at home:
1st rd boys- CBOA Foothill Citrus Unit
Qtr Finals boys- CBOA Desert Valley Unit
Semifinal boys- CBOA South Orange County Unit

*Both our road games (Girls 1st rd and Boys 2nd were covered by CBOA Channel Coast Unit.

Our semifinal game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_YbmWb1Pn4

[Lcubed48]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

That ouster led to the political nightmare which caused me to take my services up to Richmond.

Thank you to you and the other transfers!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Schools that win at least 40% of their regular season games make the state tournament.

To fill up the class brackets, three teams with less than a 40% winning percentage made the state tournament this year, two with records of 7-13, and one with a record of 6-14.