It is getting close to that time of year again. Anyone out there working any state tournament games?

I did a 3A (middle sized schools) 1st round game, but nothing else so far.

I worked a first round boys sectional game and a second round girls sectional game. Sectionals are 3 rounds, Regionals are two rounds and then the State Championship game in each classification. But it looks like I'm done for the year. The amount of playoff games that each local association in NC varies each year. This year, we only got 32 games, versus 42 last year. Less games for the association, less games for me. :(


I believe mrsbballref, no relation, is going to the Western Regionals in NC and will work two games.

Hey,

Would someone be kind enough to explain how to whole sectional/regional thing works in the US?

Ie. let's go backwards.

State
Regional?
Sectional?
County?

..Mike

I know when I was in high school (PA), the first few rounds of our tourney games were dubbed 'district' playoffs. I'm not sure if that's the same thing as county, but I'll offer it anyway.

In NC, a pre-determined number of teams from each conference make the playoffs each year.

Sectional Tournament
1st Round
2nd Round
Sectional Finals
Wiiners advance to the Regionals

Regional Tournament
Semi-finals
Regional Finals
Winners advance to the State Championship Game

State Championship Game

We have four classifications, so there are eight tournaments actually being played, four boys and four girls.

I would imagine that different states have different setups. When I lived in Tennessee, we had district tournaments, a sub-state game and then a state tournament played at MTSU that was eithe 2 or 3 rounds. So each state has their own preferences.

It is different in every state (okay, some might be the same ...)

In IL, all teams make the playoffs. 2 classes for both boys and girls. First week is regionals, then sectionals, then super-sectionals, then state (8 teams, iirc).

That seems odd. Why play the regular season if everybody goes to the playoffs? That's rhetorical since I would imagine teams are seeded based on regular season play but it just seems like a long post season. How long do the regular and post seasons last?

The Original March Madness.
 

Believe me, it does not make that much difference. The teams that are good, still advance and still do well for the most part. Teams are ranked by the coaches before the playoffs in each regional, and then the winners of each regional play winners of other regionals (determined before the season starts) in the sectional. Then the Super-sectional, then the State Finals (8 teams). Hey, that is why it is called the "Original March Madness."

Basically, the seedings are very important, so it is not like a bad team gets a free ride. The usually have to play the better teams in a regional. That is most of the time a big task. The better your regular season is, the higher you will be seeded (at least in your regional).

[Edited by JRutledge on Feb 24th, 2001 at 03:47 AM]

Re: The Original March Madness.
 

Quote:

Originally posted by BktBallRef That seems odd. Why play the regular season if everybody goes to the playoffs? That's rhetorical since I would imagine teams are seeded based on regular season play but it just seems like a long post season. How long do the regular and post seasons last?

Believe me, it does not make that much difference. The teams that are good, still advance and still do well for the most part. Teams are ranked by the coaches before the playoffs in each regional, and then the winners of each regional play winners of other regionals (determined before the season starts) in the sectional. Then the Super-sectional, then the State Finals (8 teams). Hey, that is why it is called the "Original March Madness."

Basically, the seedings are very important, so it is not like a bad team gets a free ride. The usually have to play the better teams in a regional. That is most of the time a big task. The better your regular season is, the higher you will be seeded (at least in your regional).

[Edited by JRutledge on Feb 24th, 2001 at 03:47 AM] [/QUOTE]

Got a couple more games including a 4A quarterfinal. Maybe a semifinal might be in the picture? Who knows? Anyone else out there working???

I have a first round boys game and a quarterfinal boys game and I have a second round girls game and a girl's state semifinal game.

I, along with my semi-regular partner, worked a 4A Girls Quarterfinal (largest class in Missouri) this past weekend. It was quite an experience. The boys game before had the two best teams in St. Louis playing in front of a packed house. One of the teams in the girls team was from the same school as the boys game. It was neat to be treated in a first class manner all the way. We had reserved parking, an escort at the door to the lockeroom, reserved seats for the sold out boys game, police escort to and from lockerooms and most importantly, towels in the lockeroom. I have received nice treatment at high school games but never to this extent.

I worked all the way to the State 5A boys semi finals. It was very fun. The quarterfinal game I did was between the #1 and undefeated team in the state and a team that had won about 10 in a row. The unranked team won by 3 in OT (they went on to win the tourney, beating #1, #2 and #3 in the state in the process).

Working the tourney is great.

WOW! The Holy Grail of officiating!