what to do when you know you and your crew had an awful game

[ronny mulkey]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'm going to guess that less than two, or three, percent of the varsity games in my little corner of Connecticut, are three person games. I would bet my house that zero percent of subvarsity games are three person games. In fact, I would go as far as saying that there are more one person subvarsity games than there are three person subvarsity games.

My first, and only, experience with a three person game was a boys varsity game in a holiday tournament. It could be described as a "big game", which is why three officials were assigned to that game. Previous to that, I had only studied three person mechanics in the manual, never on the floor.

One year, we had a voluntary, preseason, one hour, "on the floor", three person demonstration by our interpreter. Only a couple of dozen officials showed up. This demonstration hasn't been offered since.

For some officials on my local board, their first three person game is a state tournament quarterfinal game. The only exception would be those officials that also work college games, and there aren't too many of those.

Billy,

About 10 years ago, our association decided to assign all games as 3 person crews. This includes middle and sub-varsity games. The intent was to shorten the training curve. Works well down here.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ronny mulkey

Billy, About 10 years ago, our association decided to assign all games as 3 person crews. This includes middle and sub-varsity games. The intent was to shorten the training curve. Works well down here.

Varsity coaches, especially those that win state championships with defensively oriented teams, and carry, with that, a lot in influence in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (a strong organization here in Connecticut), don't want three officials. The Coaches Association has influence over our state high school athletics governing body, so the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), the state governing body, hasn't pushed the three person issue. At levels lower than that, athletic directors, and principals, don't want to pay for the extra officials for subvarsity, and middle school, games.

Until winning, defensively oriented, influential, varsity coaches change their mind, retire, or get hit by a school bus, we won't have three person games in Connecticut.

[dee33]

It happens and I learned 3-man in camp but my first experience was horrific and a good friend told me that no official is perfect and if we watch the tape regardless of 2-man or 3-man we all could write a book of things that we could've done better.

[Remington]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Varsity coaches, especially those that win state championships with defensively oriented teams, and carry, with that, a lot in influence in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (a strong organization here in Connecticut), don't want three officials. The Coaches Association has influence over our state high school athletics governing body, so the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, the state governing body, hasn't pushed the three person issue. At levels lower than that, athletic directors, and principals, don't want to pay for the extra officials for subvarsity, and middle school, games.

Until winning, defensively oriented, influential varsity coaches change their mind, retire, or get hit by a school bus, we won't have three person games in Connecticut.

That is almost laughable. Even here in our agricultural state with smaller athletic budgets, most of the coaches were sick of seeing fouls not being called (and they impacted the results of the game) because their seat on the bench was the same look as the "C." Often times they would watch tape and/or look at our correct positioning and see why plays weren't guessed on and called fouls or vice-versa where a foul was called because the official guessed when it was a legal play. I am glad we have made headways in this the last 5-10 years to where even many of our smaller schools have gond to 3-whistle coverage.

[Rich]

Crew dynamics are important.

It's important to have a very strong official on every game -- someone you can point at who you know will handle things when "it" hits the fan.

The second official should be at least solid enough to work his primary and get his calls right as close to 100% of the time as possible.

Unfortunately, it sounds as though your crew had 3 U2s.

I've been there back when I was just learning how to work 3-person years ago. Sometimes the best thing you can do as an individual is decide that if nobody else is going to step up, it might as well be you. Show confidence even if you don't have it and do your best.

But your assigner isn't doing you any favors.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Remington

That is almost laughable. Even here in our agricultural state with smaller athletic budgets.

Money is a only a very small part of the two, or three, person debate here in my little corner of Connecticut.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Varsity coaches, especially those that win state championships with defensively oriented teams, and carry, with that, a lot in influence in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (a strong organization here in Connecticut), don't want three officials. The Coaches Association has influence over our state high school athletics governing body, so the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), the state governing body, hasn't pushed the three person issue. Until winning, defensively oriented, influential, varsity coaches change their mind, retire, or get hit by a school bus, we won't have three person games in Connecticut.

The coaches that win conference, league, and state titles are, for the most part, very defensively oriented coaches. Because they win, they carry a lot of power in the Coaches Association, and thus, the State governing body. These guys like to press, and trap, and fight through screens, and play man to man, etc. They figure that with an extra official out on the court, more fouls will be called, more players will be in foul trouble, more opponents will be be shooting free throws, etc., putting them, and their defensive style, at a disadvantage.

Coaches down in the southeastern corner of the state have "seen the light", and have encouraged their leagues, and conferences, to use three man crews for "big" varsity games.

But here in my little corner of the state, and in a few other parts of the state, coaches just don't want a third man, or woman, on court.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by ronny mulkey

Billy,

About 10 years ago, our association decided to assign all games as 3 person crews. This includes middle and sub-varsity games. The intent was to shorten the training curve. Works well down here.

Curious...how did you "sell" this to the middle schools and high schools for sub -varsity and get them to agree to pay for a third official?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Andy

Curious...how did you "sell" this to the middle schools and high schools for sub -varsity and get them to agree to pay for a third official?

We've done it for sub varsity at the big schools. The sell comes with the better quality officials in the varsity contests since you don't have guys learning 3-man in varsity games.

[RookieDude]

Originally Posted by Andy

Curious...how did you "sell" this to the middle schools and high schools for sub -varsity and get them to agree to pay for a third official?

...took a pay cut....so that we could "sell" 3-Whistle.

At first some of us were hesitant...but, man o man...has this been a godsend.

We do ALL High School games 3-Whistle...and some M.S. games for training.

I can't imagine doing 2 person all year and then expect to be proficient in 3 person when the "big game" or "playoffs" come around.

[frezer11]

Originally Posted by Andy

Curious...how did you "sell" this to the middle schools and high schools for sub -varsity and get them to agree to pay for a third official?

Originally Posted by RookieDude

...took a pay cut....so that we could "sell" 3-Whistle.

At first some of us were hesitant...but, man o man...has this been a godsend.

We do ALL High School games 3-Whistle...and some M.S. games for training.

I can't imagine doing 2 person all year and then expect to be proficient in 3 person when the "big game" or "playoffs" come around.

We're almost the exact same. For us, varsity was mandated at the state level, so nothing we had to do, as far as sub varsity/middle school, we're lucky enough to have two AD's in our region that somewhat progressive in that they realize the importance of that 3rd official, and basically made a statement in support of it. Initially we also took a pay cut, but after a year or two, the president of our association set up a meeting to discuss how much 3 have helped, and the AD's agreed to buck up for the 3rd.