HS Varsity Crew Sizes

[AUgrad2006]

I'm a newer (2nd year) official in Georgia where we use 6-man crews for varsity games. I am potentially moving over the next year and recently discovered that the state to which I am moving uses 5-man crews for varsity. This got me thinking a little about what the ideal crew size is for a varsity game. Personally, I think it helps tremendously to have two deep officials because this not only adds coverage downfield but also puts two guys on each sideline.

I know a lot of states use 5 man, some use 6, and I think one or two may even use 7. I'm just curious what other states use and what everyone thinks about the effectiveness of each respective scenario.