Tonight I have my first varsity game. It should be one of the better games of the area. 1 team is slated to go to state and has all their starters returning while the other team has quite a bit of height and speed. I'm looking forward to it and I'll let you know what happened :-)

Congrats. Just relax and have fun.

Yes, by all means have fun! My first game is on Thursday. I plan to have fun myself! Good luck!

I turned back three games to take my family on vacation, so my first game is tonight. Boys varsity nonconference, the first 3-person HS game I've worked in the state of Wisconsin (I work about a dozen boys varsity games a year in IL and they are all 3-person, but 3-person is just trickling into my area of WI for varsity games). Then because of a scheduling quirk and my company's annual big convention, I don't have another game until December 9th.

Nonconference 3-man in WI? Is that the norm? In most parts of MN it's al 2-man until the state tournaments. However down in the MSP/St. Paul area I believe some conferences do 3-man.

It will be weird getting used to the 4 extra minutes and going to halves. But yet if I work in WI it's quarters there. I love the difference. :-\

Are you still talking about high school games?

Yes... High school in MN (MSHSL) Even though we go by NFHS, We have adopted to play 2 18-minute halves. They claimed that the coaches wanted this because of minnesota hockey got a change similar. Plus I guess they jsut want to play more like college ball... It's weird and all of us have mixed feelings...

EDITED for spelling

Yeah, Tommy. Minnesota is apparently going to 18 minute halves for their HS games. No idea why. Essentially, they will play OT (4 extra minutes) in every game. I hope the refs get paid an extra 12.5% per game. Yeah, right.

Chuck, So far up in my neck of the woods the game fee is still the same... Perhaps 1 or 2 dollars more... But I think they increased our mileage. Which is lame because not everyone gets that mileage check... I guess details need to be ironed out. Either way I'm excited for this.

BBall--> Who do you have tonight? I will look for the score later!

The state of Minnesota has left it up to the individual associations to decide their rates. If you work as an independent contractor with schools, you are pretty much at their mercy. Unfortunately, our association set our rates in the spring before the rule change was made. However, we have decided to readjust our rates after this year, instead of waiting our usual two years.

But then, I'm one of those guys to which the money isn't really that important. In fact, I'd be more than happy to split the check three ways if I could work 3-person every night.

Trigger, I got Grand Rapids/Hermantown girls. Hermantown has a couple phenominal players. I think they will have a good chance to go to state. I'm excited.

I don't care too much about the money either. I'm not sure how our association negotiates fees... Just as long as I can work my games! :-)

I work in the Saint Paul/Minneapolis Metro Area. The contract that was agreed on for three person is $58.00/game this year and $60.00/game in 2006-2007. The Ad's wanted fee's in the $55.00 range but we accepted $2.00 less per game then the two person fee. Roughly 15% of all Metro Games will be three person and then all playoff/state tournament games will be three person. Four years ago we had no HS three person officiating. Since we are about the only part of the country that still uses two person officiating I've told all my fellow officials to shut up and be happy the powers that be have finally seen the advantage to three person. It's coming-just very slowly. Good luck to everyone this year!!

I wish 3-man would be come standard.. But I have a feeling (in MN anyway) due to school budget constraints we won't see that for a while yet.

We don't have enough officials in the Rochester area to cover 3 for every game. We barely have enough qualified guys and gals to cover 2. 3 is a luxury on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Just to clarify, the above comment by twref. All State Tournament games in Minnesota are 3-person. For playoff games , called sub-section and section games, the crew is determined by the sub-section or section. I work with Trigger and in Southeast MN, sub-section and section games are still 2 person crews for all 4 classes A to AAAA. Without these games going to 3 person crews there is little motivation for schools to use 3 person for regular season games. Lots of motivation for officials, where possible, to work 3 person as that's what is used at State.

I had a double girls varsity tournament on Saturday and those extra 4 minutes suck for blowout games. also, really strange to look at clock in high school game and see double digit time left.

Mass
 

In Mass we have 2 16 minute halfs which is equivalent to the NHFS 8 minute quarters. As for 3 person, we only have one conference that has gone to 3 person crews. It is a catholic school conference. Our whole State Tourney is 3 person though. My first HS game is not till Dec 5th. Football Playoffs still on going.

Hey there, Massref. Welcome to the forum. From your comment about the Catholic league going 3-whistle, I'm guessing that you're in or near Boston? I'm out near Springfield. Glad to see somebody else from MA here.

MA
 

Yes from the Boston Area....The Catholic Conference went to three person....only schools that can afford it I guess...No idea what the game fees are?

Re: MA
 

Right now, the game fees are negotiated between each conference and each individual officials' association. As soon as the Basketball Committee of the MIAA approves 3-person crews for the regular season, the Game Officials Committee of the MIAA is going to recommend that a full game fee be given to each official in a 3-person crew.

Is it your first ever varsity game? Or first this year?

first one ever... I'm typing this as just getting home from it. Let me tell you... It was great! It was an exciting game from the get go... It ended up being like an 8-point difference at the end. Both teams had lots of players to rotate. As for me, my partner said I did an excellent job and that he was happy to choose me to fill in and will use me any time he needs someone. The coaches were very good... No problems... I was lucky to have this game as my first... Even though I know not all games go like this :-)

Careful - you're gonna start wanting to do this more often. ;)

It doesn't matter which game is your first, because the first is always like that. You never forget it.

68-59, the home team led wire-to-wire, but it was a close game until the end.

They really moved up and down the court last night. All 3 of us mentioned after the game that this was a game that screamed out for a 3-person crew. And even though I hadn't worked anything but a day of games at a clinic since March, I thought we all called a darned good game.

Just one strange thing: I made one call through the lane as a lead on a drive coming from C's primary, but I didn't have much of a choice. Driver flattened the defender and I waited as long as I could, but I had to pick up the charge. I saw the whole thing as the A player drove right towards the lane, so I saw him as I was picking up the post players in my primary.

It's nice to get the first one in and know I still remember how to do this -- after working 100 baseball games and 30 football games, I have to look up how many timeouts the teams get before the first game :)

I'm glad to see there's at least one state behind WI, though. In 2007-08, all playoff games will be worked 3-person (state tourney this year and sectionals+state next year). Most schools are OK with us working 3 if we'll accept 2 game checks. We're doing this as much as possible, because I think there's a selling job we need to do to the coaches and schools as they think that (1) 3 are unnecessary or (2) we'll call lots more fouls with 3, when actually, we don't call any more, but we don't have to guess, either.

18 minute halves? Don't give WI any ideas.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
[B]


68-59, the home team led wire-to-wire, but it was a close game until the end.

They really moved up and down the court last night. All 3 of us mentioned after the game that this was a game that screamed out for a 3-person crew. And even though I hadn't worked anything but a day of games at a clinic since March, I thought we all called a darned good game.

Just one strange thing: I made one call through the lane as a lead on a drive coming from C's primary, but I didn't have much of a choice. Driver flattened the defender and I waited as long as I could, but I had to pick up the charge. I saw the whole thing as the A player drove right towards the lane, so I saw him as I was picking up the post players in my primary.

It's nice to get the first one in and know I still remember how to do this -- after working 100 baseball games and 30 football games, I have to look up how many timeouts the teams get before the first game :)

I'm glad to see there's at least one state behind WI, though. In 2007-08, all playoff games will be worked 3-person (state tourney this year and sectionals+state next year). Most schools are OK with us working 3 if we'll accept 2 game checks. We're doing this as much as possible, because I think there's a selling job we need to do to the coaches and schools as they think that (1) 3 are unnecessary or (2) we'll call lots more fouls with 3, when actually, we don't call any more, but we don't have to guess, either.

Rich,

We are doing the same north of you. Saturday we had a coach that did not like it that it is being used in non-conference games because "this game is just as important as the others to us"

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mj

Quote:

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser Quote: Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser Quote: Originally posted by BBallfanatic Tonight I have my first varsity game. It should be one of the better games of the area. 1 team is slated to go to state and has all their starters returning while the other team has quite a bit of height and speed. I'm looking forward to it and I'll let you know what happened :-) I turned back three games to take my family on vacation, so my first game is tonight. Boys varsity nonconference, the first 3-person HS game I've worked in the state of Wisconsin (I work about a dozen boys varsity games a year in IL and they are all 3-person, but 3-person is just trickling into my area of WI for varsity games). Then because of a scheduling quirk and my company's annual big convention, I don't have another game until December 9th. 68-59, the home team led wire-to-wire, but it was a close game until the end. They really moved up and down the court last night. All 3 of us mentioned after the game that this was a game that screamed out for a 3-person crew. And even though I hadn't worked anything but a day of games at a clinic since March, I thought we all called a darned good game. Just one strange thing: I made one call through the lane as a lead on a drive coming from C's primary, but I didn't have much of a choice. Driver flattened the defender and I waited as long as I could, but I had to pick up the charge. I saw the whole thing as the A player drove right towards the lane, so I saw him as I was picking up the post players in my primary. It's nice to get the first one in and know I still remember how to do this -- after working 100 baseball games and 30 football games, I have to look up how many timeouts the teams get before the first game :) I'm glad to see there's at least one state behind WI, though. In 2007-08, all playoff games will be worked 3-person (state tourney this year and sectionals+state next year). Most schools are OK with us working 3 if we'll accept 2 game checks. We're doing this as much as possible, because I think there's a selling job we need to do to the coaches and schools as they think that (1) 3 are unnecessary or (2) we'll call lots more fouls with 3, when actually, we don't call any more, but we don't have to guess, either. Rich, We are doing the same north of you. Saturday we had a coach that did not like it that it is being used in non-conference games because "this game is just as important as the others to us"

Then he should demand 3 for all the conference games, too. It's amazing the coaches' mentality on this -- how can anyone possibly think that a 2-person crew can do a better job than a good 3-person crew? We had no more fouls last night than we would've had with 2 and we had better looks at some of the contact we passed on (verticality, especially).

We had Beaver Dam vs. Sheboygan North last night. Nice gym, nice teams. Coaches fairly typical, although the visiting coach didn't like that his team committed the first 6 fouls of the second half.

I'm also a MN ref although I work in the Twin Cities. I had my first varsity game of the season last night (actually a JV/V tilt) and it was really nice to get back on the court. Like many have expressed previously, we worked as a 2 man crew last night although about 1/3 of the games I'm working this year will be 3 person crews.

Its interesting to hear that Rochester has such a shortage of qualified BB refs. Here in the Twin Cities you have to wait about 5 years before you start to receive varsity contests. Living in the southern metro area I would be more than happy to help out my neighbors to the south by working games in your area. As an aside, my son has been reffing games for 5 years now and next year he'll be going to college in Rochester. He would love to get hooked up with a good association to work games down there. Are there any you can recommend so I can start to grease the skids for him?

Thanks and have a GREAT season everyone!

We are doing the same north of you. Saturday we had a coach that did not like it that it is being used in non-conference games because "this game is just as important as the others to us"



[/B][/QUOTE][/B]

Then he should demand 3 for all the conference games, too. It's amazing the coaches' mentality on this -- how can anyone possibly think that a 2-person crew can do a better job than a good 3-person crew? We had no more fouls last night than we would've had with 2 and we had better looks at some of the contact we passed on (verticality, especially).

We had Beaver Dam vs. Sheboygan North last night. Nice gym, nice teams. Coaches fairly typical, although the visiting coach didn't like that his team committed the first 6 fouls of the second half. [/B][/QUOTE]

We called 33 fouls in our game. This coach has an attitude about everything. He has a hell of team though.

MN BB Ref, I'm not sure Trigger really meant we have a shortage of qualified officials, just that we don't have enough numbers to do 3-person for all of our games, if all schools went to 3 person. We have approximately 50-60 varsity officials in our association but on some busy nights only have a few officials not working. Many officials limit their availabilty or work some college games, so all officials are not available every night. We primarily do class A and AA games and not all of these games have the level of competition/skill that requires 3 person crews.

Tell your son to check out the contact info on the MSHSL web site for the Rochester Area Officials Association under basketball here http://www.mshsl.org/mshsl/sofficial...iationlist.asp
There are also associations in Winona and Adams/Austin. I was a former assignor for our association and there were only 1 or 2 cases when I needed to get assistance from one of the other associations.

Fell free to contact me via email for more info.

Thanks Red. I'll be in touch!