How many H.S. teams are really prepared for tourney officiating??

When the MPA (Maine Principals Association) used to use 2 officials for all tournament games when I was coaching I always hired or had on my assignment lists officials that officiated a game very tight. Did this because of the style of basketball that we played. We tried to be finesse teams so the more whistles the better.

It is not what is called that effects the game as much as it is if nothing is called because at least when something is called the play is ruled dead.  So there is no score off the play on a call unless a foul is in the act of shooting, basket interference, or goal tending.

So we really wanted the whistle to be blown. Knowing that the tournament officiating was always called tighter because the officials were constantly being evaluated to continue to work more tournament and possible state games we wanted the players to prepared..

If a situation in a tournament game where there could be  or could not be a call made the official got a better evaluation on the play situation that happened  if they made the call and then not making the call.

So by knowing that more fouls were called in tourney games then regular season games as our score books also  proved/showed over the seasons.  By having officials for all of our home games that blew the whistle more than other officials we were much better prepared for the tournament games and less likely to have foul trouble in games.

When 3 officials were used for the tournaments we always hired 3 officials for all our home games for the same reasons. 6 eyes are going to see more than 4 eyes so the game is going to be called differently so usually there are more fouls called.

This brings me to why I am writing this blog with the title question of How many high school teams are ready for tourney officiating?

Meaning how many high schools hired 3 officials for all their home games during the regular season of if not how many teams at least hired 3 officials for their last 3 home games so as to get their players and coaches ready for the difference in 2 person official teams and 3 person official teams?

Teams that don’t at least hire 3 officials for their last 3 home games of the regular season are surely putting their teams are a greater risk of not being able to adjust to 3 officials. Especially, if playing a team that has had 3 officials for all their home games or their last 3 home games of the regular season.. The more home and away regular season games a team has 3 officials the better they will be prepared for the tournament officiating

Think about over the years how many tournament or state games were decided by who or who not was on the court because of foul trouble. Then maybe you will hire 3 for the remaining home games you have for the final 2 weeks of the regular season.

Other than having 3 officials because the game is covered better, another big reason for having them is that 2 officials cannot adequately cover the 3 point line from end line to end line where 3  officials can.

How would you feel if you lost a game because a 3 was counted as a 2  because the official could not see the line where the shot was made from?

Remember, if the official(s) don’t know if it is a 2 or a 3, IT IS A TWO..

By the way we never to my recollection ever had a player foul out of a post season tournament or state game because they weren’t prepared for the difference in regular season and post season tournament officiating.