All right, I've got another annoying post trying to find out what everybody else does out there, but here goes.

I'm looking for information on which State's use 3-person and which ones use 2-person. Please post a state and what they use. If they use different ones for different levels (school enrollments), please note that as well. Specifically looking for the State and/or regional level, but if you've got more info, feel free to put that in too.

If you're wondering why I need this, our local A.D.'s have said they were unaware of ANY other state's doing 3-person. If I can come back with a list of what everybody else is doing, I'm hoping I can convince them this is the future and not a fly-by-night request.

Thanks for your help in advance. I'll be checking back regulary to see which states I'm missing.

Viking32

IN does!
 

Indiana does...but it's not mandatory. That said, the state tournaments are going to 3-person at the regional level games and beyond. That would be the second round and up for those of you who have different formats. In Indiana:

Sectional
Regional
Semi-State
State

Massachusetts is all 2-whistle, including the entire post-season.

Oregon is all 2-person, for HS and under, including post-season (except at the ref camps where we're learning 3- at a tournament).

North Dakota uses 3-person in Class A and 2-person in Class B

In ILL.
 

In all playoff games there is 3 Person no matter what. Regular season games, I would say about 95% of conferences assign 3 Person games. So there are still conferences that might have part of their games 2 person and the other half, 3 Person. Makes no sense to me, but that is the way it is.

Peace

I can speak for a few states and maybe someone can correct me. Maryland does for some of the games. Nevada used to until this coming year. The reason for the steps backwards is a mix between budget and many coaches thought the 3rd official was just along for the ride. I have no comment on that. Arizona uses 2-person. Mississippi used 3-person in some games the last I knew.

I'm very aware of the tournament layout in Indiana. One of my Basketball dreams would be to do a game on a Friday night in Richmond, Indiana. Thousands of fans, and the place rockin. Well, I have no plans on ever living in Indiana again so it will probably always be a dream. Whether 2 or 3 person mechanics are used, I'm envious of an Indiana High School Official. What a rush!

In Kentucky, 3 person is used in all post-season games although it is not mandatory during the regular season. I believe about a third of my games were 3 whistle last year during the regular season.

3-man in MO
 

Missouri is going to 3-man in the playoffs starting this year I believe in Class 3-5(5 being biggest schools). For the big schools and Championship nights of tournaments we are doing 3-man but everything else is pretty much 2-man.

Tomegun,

Thanks! It is a rush!

We HAD the best tournament in the world...until the people who "know what's best for the kiddies" got involved and changed it to class. Nevermind that the majority of the people who wanted it were the principals. Had it gone to vote by the coaches, the players, or the general public, it would have been shot down fast!

Best thing was...when the vote came out and class basketball was voted in, the state paper listed how each and every school voted. Every year some group, unsuccessfully, tries to get the decision over-turned.

Anyway, if you were in Indiana, I think you'd rather officiate a SRO contest held at either New Castle's Chysler Arena or "The Wigwam" in Anderson.

In Utah we use 2 man...We're trying to go to three man but some of the smaller school(rural area) coaches are against it. They think they will get lesser qualified officals for their games.

Although not mandated most of Ga is 3 man during regular season and all post season

In California, 3 person is used in the playoffs at all levels and in some tournaments during the regular season.

I agree about Richmond. When I was in college there (did you go to E...ham??) I went to a couple of HS games. What an adventure!! And do you know, they still only have one high school with, what 3500 students or something?!? God forbid they should break up that basketball empire!! PS I have two nieces that attend there. They love it!

In Michigan...
 

Some conferences hire two, some three. I work 95% 3-whistle. In our state tournaments, 3-whistle begins in the 2nd round through the finals.

In TX we have officiating chapters that can negotiate with the school districts we service as to whether we will use three officials or two. My chapter covers Ft. Worth and the surrounding counties. At this time we work most 4A and 5A (largest schools) with 3 officials. The the smaller schools we still use 2 officials. Playoffs for 4A and 5A schools are always done with 3 officials.

I guess I'm by myself.

In the great state of North Carolina, ALL VARSITY CONTESTS ARE REQUIRED to be worked by 3 officials. No ifs, ands, or buts! :D

And what is the pay scale???????
 

I'd love to hear about that. For 2-person and 3-person crews.

In Kansas I believe at least 75% of the leagues use 3-man for the regular season. For the post-season, 3-man is required for all games regardless of class (1A thru 6A). Two years ago my games were about half 2-man and half 3-man. Last year was about 75% 3-man, this year I've only got one varsity date that's 2-man, the rest are all 3-man all season long.

Way behind
 

Nebraska is still 2-person
Omaha is going to try 3-person for their class A (Big school) Holliday tourny this season.

Re: And what is the pay scale???????
 

We normally officiate a girls/boys doubleheader, which pays $70.

If we work one game, it's $50. One tournament or playoff game is $60.

Re: And what is the pay scale???????
 

There is no pay scale. Whatever the conferences and schools want to pay. It varies too much.

Peace

My association (in northern VA) uses 3-person for all varsity contests. I understand that a couple of the smaller associations use 2-person. A couple of years ago, 2 conferences decided they did not want to pay for 3 officials and the contracted with a smaller association for 2 officicals. I was told last week that the 2 conferences decided the quality of officiating was not very good and will be signing with us when the current contract is up.

We pay $45 for regular season, $54 for post-season, and $60 for regionals.

Florida--

Each school is required to have a minimum of 3 home games for each varsity team (boys and girls) officiated by a crew of 3.

Most bigger schools use 3 more often. Our association tells the schools that when 3 person crews are available, 3 person crews will be assigned. I worked about 80% 3-person last season.

All post-season games (including districts) are 3-person.

Pay scale -- varsity 2-person - $40. varsity 3-person - $35.

WI is 2-whistle crews.
 

I have heard that the Metro Milwaukee area conferences are going with 3-whistle, but not a confirmed rumor.

I am sure the primary reason for 2-whistle crews is $$$ (budget). Just as I can be confident that we will not see the shot clock any time in the near future.

Pay scale: Usually $50/game and mileage for one driver.

American military schools/large International schools in Japan. All HS league games 3 refs.

some smaller international schools non-league games 2 refs.

3 refs jv $37, V $43 a game. 2 refs jv $45, V $55.-plus transportation.

Texas it is a coaches choice. State playoffs are three man. 95% of games in my area are two man. Money and lack of officials.

Re: WI is 2-whistle crews.
 

Where from, Willie?

I'm in the Madison area. I work 2-whistle in WI for $50-$55/game with some conferences paying up to $30 mileage. I work 3-whistle in IL for about $54/game no mileage.

Rich

Indy-ref, hold on for one minute. The reason why I said I would like to do a game in Richmond is because I went to Richmond High School. Although New Castle and Anderson have nice gyms I would want to be in the Tiernan Center! Deep down inside I will always be a Red Devil. My mom and dad, 3 sisters, 1 brother, 1 neice, 1 nephew and countless aunts, uncles and cousins all graduated from Richmond. You will be able to tell how old I am but I was in school both of the years we played Marion in the state finals during their 3 year run. I graduated with Woody Austin who most people don't know won Mr. Basketball over Shawn Kemp! Also, we lost 2 games that year and were ranked as high as 14 nationally! Hoosier Hysteria bit us in the but on both of those losses, Jay County at the buzzer from 3 and Woody shot 6 for 30 in the Semi-State. A few years after I graduated we won it all! Some people think Indiana Basketball is a bunch of hype. It IS in our blood!

Understood!!....and Ageed!!!!

Minnesota is going 3-person at the state level starting this year. They are leaving it up to individual sections for the levels below state, and leaving it up to schools for regular season. Most games are 2 during the regular season, with the exception of bigger metro area schools.

Thanks everybody for the replies. Here's a list of states that haven't been represented yet.

Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Louisiana
Maine
Montana
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming

Thanks for the 23 states already responded

Ok a subject near and dear to my heart!

In Maryland the public schools are broken into counties and each county makes the decision. As of right now there is no county in Maryland done completely 3 man, there may be some games in each done that way, but none entirely. So the gist of it is we are a 2-man state.

The playoffs which by the way is an "open playoff system", where by every team in the state makes the tnmt. is only 3-man at the Regional Semi-Final, Regional Final, and State Semi's and Finals.

Here in central Ohio we do 3 person on all varsity games (men and women). Just recently we've been doing some jr. varsity games too.

CO = Yes.

No I don't officiate there anymore but when I was there we were experiementing with the concept. This season it goes statewide.

On the Eastern Shore of MD we work 2 person for all but holiday tournaments and once we get into states just as Ref42 says.

My board also covers the Eastern Shore of VA and it sounds like they are going to 3 person for all varsity contests this year. The funny thing is that they are all SMALL schools (single A of a 3 tier system).

While we don't cover DE I know that the southern half of DE is all 3 person for varsity.

Iowa is all 2 person as far as I know. Pay varies, varsity contests in the local 4A conference pay $60, if you work at one of the smaller schools you usually do a JV/Varsity double header and get paid anywhere from $75-$95 for the night. I haven't heard any talk about Iowa going to 3 person, although most of the conferences across the river in Illinois use 3 person for Varsity contests.

A few of my best friends officiate in Iowa. In 90% of the state, they have 2-man. The conference with the largest schools, the CIML, including the major Des Moines schools, Mason City, Ames, etc., uses some 3-man crews. When my buddies work outside the conference, they remain a 3-man crew, even in conferences that hire mostly 2-man crews. It pays to be good.

I know it wasn't part of the original question, and I don't think it's been covered by any of the responses yet, but are there any states out there doing 3-person for boys and not for girls?

At the risk of sounding sexist (which it isn't intended to be), I'm of the mindset that although the grade level is the same, the need for 3-person games isn't the same for girls as it is for boys. Anybody else want to step out on that limb with me?

Whoa! I hope that your info is not true. While I do know about the coaches' movement to revert to 2-man, last I heard, it failed. I will have to make some calls and see. My belief is that the North will do whatever the South does, since we tend to follow them like a lost, little puppy.

Latest report: South is definitely back to 2 for this coming season, North is still up in the air.

[Edited by Nevadaref on Oct 25th, 2003 at 01:54 AM]

Washington State
 

WA is 2 man for all schools and conferences...at least on the east side of the state.
Not sure about the Seattle area...west side of the Cascades.

About $50 a game Varsity plus travel.

RD