Playoffs-Crews or Individuals

[parepat]

In Ohio playoff officials are chosen individually (as opposed to crews) by votes from coaches. How do other states select playoff officials.

[Snake~eyes]

Crews - I'm not totally sure how it works. I believe the crews are selected by the comissioner of the association until a school plays another school which the association doesn't do. At that point the comissioner sends a list of top crews to the state and the state picks from the list.

[Warrenkicker]

Kansas

During the first week of playoffs the state assigns crews to the games. This covers two rounds for 5 classes and the first round for the two largest classes. After that the state can assign however they feel is appropriate. The coaches send in votes on who they feel are playoff-quality officials and the state uses those numbers to help them select the officials as well as proximity to the game site as the state pays for mileage in the playoffs.

[Mike L]

San Diego section of California.
First round is by crew, so are some of the second round. After that it's put together crews formed by the Assign Sec and approved by the board committee in charge. There are individual requirements established by the assoc for all playoff games, which may eliminate an official's chance of getting a game, even if the rest of their crew is going.
How the rest of the sections in California do it is up to them. We don't really have any state "oversight" or input. How they intend to pick officials for our future, if it really happens, "state championships" (think bowl game type invites from all the section champs)is anyone's guess.

[grantsrc]

Here in Missouri it is crews. If a person cannot work he is replaced. Very seldomnly is a crew selected and "the weakest link" subbed out for. I think it has happened though.
I should find out if our crew got a playoff or not tonight. Here's to hoping!

[ljudge]

New Jersey -

We have crews all season long and only crews are allowed to work in the playoffs. There are some isolated cases where a crew member gets injured and we allow for a sub. We typically have 3 rounds (unless only 4 teams make the group).

The quarterfinal rounds are done locally by our local chapter.

The state gets a list of top crews for semi-final and final assignments. For both of these 2 rounds we usually get sent out of district, but we've had local crews who worked local championships. I'm not 100% sure if these are hard and fast rules for the latter rounds.

[l3will]

Minnesota

9-man and 5 classes.

Each section coordinator picks the crews and that varies based on the coordinator.

The state association assigns the crews for the final three rounds in each class. 4 quarter-final games, 2 semis and the final.

To get assigned to those games the crew has to apply for state tournament assignments at the beginning of the season. Your crew must then be observed by the state association observers.

The observer must recommend the crew for consideration for assignment to the state tournament. The observers do contact the referee and provide a written evaluation of your crew.

Also, coaches rank the crew after each game.

The crew's application, game schedule and members is all entered online in the state association's website by the referee.

The assignments have already been announced, I think. The crews that are working the tournament in my local association already know their assignments.

[whaddayouknow]

Originally posted by parepat
In Ohio playoff officials are chosen individually (as opposed to crews) by votes from coaches. How do other states select playoff officials.

SC, it's by individual. We do not have assigned crews throughout the year.

It is via a point system independent of voting by the coaches. I personally do not believe coaches have the ability to properly rate an official.

[Texas Aggie]

In Texas it is a mixture of both since certain chapters have crews and others do not. The coaches usually get together and negotiate issues (location, time, officials) and depending on what they decide, either they agree on a crew, agree on a chapter, or one coach picks one or the other. I doubt now they would negotiate or even pick individual officials but it may happen in areas where both schools work a chapter that doesn't use normal crews.

[Gman34]

KY does the finals with an "All-Star" crew. 1st, 2nd, some 3rd & some 4th are done with regular crews. The "A.S." crew is worked in at week 3 and may have a semi before the finals. There's some good and bad to this system. The good is someone from every region gets to work a finals rather than 4 crews out of 16 regions. Problem is some assignors have their favs and will send them every year rather than opening the door for another qualified person. The region could also send a bad apple where as if they sent a crew, I don't think the state people would let a bad crew get that far.

Originally posted by ljudge
New Jersey -

We have crews all season long and only crews are allowed to work in the playoffs. There are some isolated cases where a crew member gets injured and we allow for a sub. We typically have 3 rounds (unless only 4 teams make the group).

The quarterfinal rounds are done locally by our local chapter.

The state gets a list of top crews for semi-final and final assignments. For both of these 2 rounds we usually get sent out of district, but we've had local crews who worked local championships. I'm not 100% sure if these are hard and fast rules for the latter rounds.

I saw that before too (Local crews on Local games). We always have to drive to the other end of the state! You shouldn't have crews doing schools they do during the regular season. It should be hard and fast!

[ThickSkin]

Colorado

The officials rank one another. A first place vote is 10 and a 10th place ranking is 1. The playoffs are worked with your crew. Once the rankings are turned in, then the state says ok we need one crew for this date or two crews for this date etc... Most the time in our association we only get one crew. I believe it is because there is a lack of quality officials (or those officials that desire to get better) and a lack of teams from our area that play deep enough into the playoffs.

I think the coaches need to have a say in who works. I recently transfered from KS and the coaches voted and the number of recommendations you had determined how far into the playoffs you worked. I like this way as opposed to the CO way. IF you piss a coach off he might not vote for you for that year. If you piss one of the officials off in the little area, they may never rank you.

[dumbref]

It’s a mixed bag in Alabama. We have local associations – some use crews and some assign individually each week. The first and second rounds are assigned by the AHSAA to an association and each association determines who individually works the games. It is preferred that each official worked that position multiple timeS during the year and should be a class 2 or 3 official.

We have 8 district directors (retired officials) who also act as evaluators for 3-5 associations through out the year. Third and fourth round games are assigned to the directors, who choose the individuals. Usually they pick a crew by position from an association (mainly for easy of travel) but can mix and match if they so choose.

The finals are assigned by the AHSAA by position based on the director’s (and others) evaluations from through out the year. Coaches also send an evaluation each week – I am not sure how much weight their evals carry. I can tell you that a negative eval by a coach is investigated and can lead to officials being suspended and/or an association put on probation.

The 6 finals are all played over a three day period in Birmingham. The individuals have a pre-game meeting the day before their assigned game, stay in a hotel together and have a pre-game meal / meeting with member of the AHSAA staff the day of the game. Believe me when I say it is an honor to be selected!

Zebra Sports sponsors a suite at the stadium for game officials, instructors and directors. If you thought coaches were tough on officials – you should listen to those guys pick you apart!

[MJT]

In Iowa each school can nominate 3 crews for playoffs. The number of recommendations is how playoff crews are decided. Approximately 20% of crews will get a playoff game as of the 160 games each regular season Friday night some are OOState crews.

[irefky]

Originally posted by Gman34
KY does the finals with an "All-Star" crew. 1st, 2nd, some 3rd & some 4th are done with regular crews. The "A.S." crew is worked in at week 3 and may have a semi before the finals. There's some good and bad to this system. The good is someone from every region gets to work a finals rather than 4 crews out of 16 regions. Problem is some assignors have their favs and will send them every year rather than opening the door for another qualified person. The region could also send a bad apple where as if they sent a crew, I don't think the state people would let a bad crew get that far.

Ky jumped on the NFL waggon with All-Star crews and just read in the referee mag that the NFL is getting back to the crews. IMO, I like the crews if they are solid but have been at the finals last two years and noticed officials in different positions that sometime are not lined up at the right spot.

On the other hand, all star crews work two game prior to the finals, correct Gman34? I cannot remember but it seems like the crews do a good job down there.

How did your game go at Frankfort? Mine was OK, 49-23