Larger Crews

[Warrenkicker]

I agree that if more officials were to be added to the NFL and NCAA levels it would be more wing officials. Then the wings at the LOS could stay there and provide better coverage for blocking and holding. Then 5 officials could be watching pass patterns without having to run so far so fast. There may be a lack of coverage areas for all those officials with A moving in to score. The other option is to have a second BJ like 6-man to then have 8-man.

Baseball is the only professional sport I know of to add officials for the play-off games. I know some states will add officials for football in high school I still am not convinced that is a good idea. Professional football, basketball, and hockey work just fine with the standard number of officials. Baseball adds those foul line umpires but I don't think they really get much use out of them. Maybe a call every few years but they have the money to pay them so whatever. Soccer is the sport where I think they could use more officials. That is a huge field with 22 players and only three officials and two of them can't get on the field so there are only two really working the game at any time. They could do more with more eyes.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Warrenkicker

Baseball is the only professional sport I know of to add officials for the play-off games. I know some states will add officials for football in high school I still am not convinced that is a good idea.

What's sometimes called semi-professional (but these days really is amateur, so I prefer the term "minor league") football also frequently adds officials for playoffs.

Rugby's the game that obviously needs more officials. What they've done in recent years is upgrade some of the touch judges, adjusting their jurisdiction depending on whether they're experienced as refs and whether the level of competition calls for it (approximately equivalent to adding officials in playoff games). In just ordinary games the touch judges are supplied by each team, but these upgraded touch judges are neutral ones supplied like refs. If they had enough personnel they could add a goal judge behind each post instead of making the touch judges shuttle, but that's a low priority. They really need another in-field official to help with so many situations.

Robert

[RMR]

Originally Posted by Warrenkicker

I know some states will add officials for football in high school I still am not convinced that is a good idea.

La. goes from 5 to 6 in the playoffs (mandatory from the third round on - optional in the first two) and all I know is that as a B, the addition of the F makes my job much easier

[Warrenkicker]

Originally Posted by RMR

La. goes from 5 to 6 in the playoffs (mandatory from the third round on - optional in the first two) and all I know is that as a B, the addition of the F makes my job much easier

My concern there is that the new official hasn't been game tested all season from the position he is seeing now. Other officials around him also now have different responsibilities as well. I feel that responsibilities should be second nature at that point so that mistakes are limited. Perhaps adding the extra guy isn't that big of a deal but if it puts any kind of doubt in your mind as to coverages or positioning then it hasn't helped right then.