Arizona goes opposite table in three person.

Jimmie, is your group an IAABO board? If so, then your group might be following standard IAABO mechanics. Do non-IAABO groups in Arizona also go opposite in 3-person? I'd really love to know.

As far as I know we aren't IAABO. A decision was made at the state level for all 3-person mechanics calling official goes away from table. That is all that is taught at any AIA camps. AZ was mostly 2-person. Last year was first full season where there were options for 3-persons and all state tourney games were 3-person.

AZ is not an IAABO state. A prominent leader of that state explained to me that AZ is an NFHS state that broke from the code to go "opposite table".

Interesting. I asked, because I knew that there were at least 2 IAABO boards in AZ. Maybe the practice of the IAABO boards somehow informed the rest of the state.

Perhaps Gessner wants officials to go opposite the table to reduce confrontations. This is the reasoning why opposite the table became the norm in men's college. It could also be that Brian Gessner used to work men's college, and is importing what he is familiar with to the AIA.

The mysteries of the universe shall be revealed in this thread.

Guardians Of The IAABO Galaxy ...
 

From March/April 2019 IAABO Sportorials magazine:

IAABO Transplants Spread The IAABO Way To The Southwest

John McDonnell, Bd. 326, Arizona and Jeff Jewett, Bd. 71, Arizona, both IAABO Life Members formerly of Boards 6 CT and 20 ME, respectively, have migrated to the Southwest. John and Jeff have formed boards in Arizona and are spreading the IAABO “One Rule, One Interpretation” method of training and educating high school basketball officials.

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.t...=0&w=300&h=300

All the way from New England to Arizona to fight for truth, justice, and the IAABO way.

John McDonnell evaluated under the previous state commissioner. The reasoning of going away is to avoid the confrontation as previously stated.

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency ...
 

Before he retired to Arizona, John McDonnell was the Connecticut State IAABO Interpreter.

His day job was that of a middle school physical education teacher, and he used his superior teaching skills to be a really outstanding State Interpreter.

Before the days of Power Point, and easily accessible slow motion videos, he would teach with a deck of three by five index cards and grease markers with an overhead projector.

He truly believed that the IAABO way of "one rule, one interpretation, (one mechanic)" was the only way to officiate properly.

They say that three things are important in real estate: Location. Location. And location.

According to John McDonnell, three things are important in basketball officiating: Consistency. Consistency. And consistency.

Self-consistency. Consistency within the crew. Consistency from crew to crew.

Accurate rules knowledge. Proper interpretations. Uniform mechanics. Approved signals.

https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.2...=0&w=329&h=186