First playoff assignment

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Is it common in your area for officials to be put in situations such as this?

Very common here in my little corner of Connecticut. 99% of our regular season games are two person games. Only one of the leagues that we service uses three person crews, and only for the semifinal, and finals, of the boys (not the girls) league playoffs. Three person crews are used only for the state tournament in the quarterfinals through the championship games.

I worked a game last week with one of the top officials on our local board. Although he will certainly get to work a three man game in a few weeks during the league and state tournament, he hasn't worked a three person game yet this season. There are a few college officials on our local board who are very familiar with the three person game, but the majority of our local officials have very little experience with a three person game.

Why? Although money does play an important role here, it's actually the coaches who don't want a three person game. They're afraid that it would lead to extra whistles in the game and slow down the game. The coaches that play the most aggressive defense, are the most vocal, and since they have had a history of being the most successful, they seem to have a greater "say" in the matter.

[ODog]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Connecticut. 99% of our regular season games are two person games. Three person crews are used only for the state tournament.

Same in Mass. Some reg. season matchups ask for (and pay for -- you get $68 instead of $77 ... I think) three-man.

But then the entire state tourney is three-man. That's a tough spot for most non-college guys, imo.

[Rich]

Based on a quick count, I have about 16 3-person games out of the 50 regular season games that I'm working. I'm willing to guess that in my immediate area, few are working more high school games 3-person unless they are working in conferences that allow 3-for-2 and then take 3 to those games.

(I work in a couple of conferences that allow 3-for-2 checks and we don't take 3 out of general principles. I don't do this for the money, but I'm not going to let conferences get 3 working officials for the cost of 2 -- they need to have SOME skin in it.)

We still do the first two rounds 2-person and then the rest of the tourney is 3-person. Too bad the state won't make the full commitment to 3-person in the post-season -- I know at least one conference who has put off moving to 3 in the regular season because the state still plays some post-season 2-person.

[Terrapins Fan]

We have used 3 man for about 12 years or so here. It increases the number of assignments, which means you need more officials and better officials.

But you miss fewer fouls. I did a game with 2 man the other night ( JV level ) and we had 2 players hit the ground, I was trail and had the ball, lead had the lane, if there were a C, he would have had it, as it was, everyone scream, coaches, fans and players, but we had no idea what happened.

It's time for everyone to be using 3 man crews for, at the very least, all varsity games.

Anyone read the article in Referee Magazine?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

We have used 3 man for about 12 years or so here. It increases the number of assignments, which means you need more officials and better officials.

But you miss fewer fouls. I did a game with 2 man the other night ( JV level ) and we had 2 players hit the ground, I was trail and had the ball, lead had the lane, if there were a C, he would have had it, as it was, everyone scream, coaches, fans and players, but we had no idea what happened.

It's time for everyone to be using 3 man crews for, at the very least, all varsity games.

Anyone read the article in Referee Magazine?

I did. I forwarded it to a local assignor of about 20 schools who quickly responded that a majority of his coaches prefer 2-official crews, ending the conversation.

[Rich]

I worked my first 3-person game in 1993. My third 3-person game was a postseason HS game in 1996. We had no training whatsoever and there was no such thing as a rotation during live ball play (which, to me, makes a 3-person crew only marginally better than a 2-person crew).

Hard to believe that was so long ago.

I guarantee you that there will be some people where I live who work their first 3-person game this year during the HS postseason. 3 years ago, I worked a regional final (3rd round) with 2 officials who hadn't worked a 3-person game all year. It was a *long* *long* game.

It would take about 5 years for us to forget that 2-person ever existed. That would require the state do more than "allow" 3-person crews.