Referee Shortage Discussion-- 127 unfilled varsity games

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

I’m hearing more and more of a movement toward some states/locations working 3-p crews for JV. I always thought it was silly for officials to either have to learn 3-p by doing varsity games, or going to teaching camps just to get comfortable.

Freshman? Middle school?

What's the cutoff? At what level are three officials not needed to properly officiate the game?

At what level are three officials needed to get enough three person subvarsity games under their black belts to be ready for a three person varsity schedule?

I observed an official work his first State tournament games last year. He made it to the quarterfinals, where three person crews are mandatory. He looked great. After the game I asked him how many three person games he had worked previous to that night's game. None. That was his first. No scrimmages. No camps. No regular season games. None.

That's not the way to do business.

[Raymond]

It is not unreasonable to expect officials to attend some sort of teaching camp in the off-season to familiarize themselves with 3-man, then work 2-3 scrimmages in the preseason so you can show your proficiency.

I have more heartburn with brand new officials working 3-man in a preseason training environment when all they will be working is 2-man in their first season.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

It is not unreasonable to expect officials to attend some sort of teaching camp in the off-season to familiarize themselves with 3-man, then work 2-3 scrimmages in the preseason so you can show your proficiency ... working 3-man in a preseason training environment when all they will be working is 2-man in their first season.

Agree. That's why there's not a lot of impetus for guys here in Connecticut to go to three person camps (unless they moving up to NCAA). Why bother when one might not get a three person game until the quarterfinals of the State tournament, if one makes it that far.

It's supply and demand. Coaches, athletic directors, and principals don't want, or don't want to pay for, three person crews. Why train, or get trained, in three person mechanics? We've only had one voluntary local clinic for three person, only a few showed up. Our statewide summer camp is a two person camp.

And yet, our state interscholastic sports governing body wants three person crews for the State quarterfinals on up. So we've got guys working three person games in really important tournament games that may have little or no three person experience.

I observe quarterfinal guys pointing to their partners all the time, meaning go there, rotate there, switch here. Once observed a guy move through all three positions during a dead ball after a foul. His partner just kept pointing and he kept moving. Eventually he traced the path of a giant circle around the court, ending up at his original position.

Reminded me of Billy from Family Circus.



That's not the way to do business.