By Landen Vogler

In the past three years the National Federation of High Schools reports that approximately 50,000-60,000 officials have decided to not continue officiating. Due to the shortage of officials, some sports are already having to reschedule or even cancel games. We have actually felt the results of this shortage because we had to move our opening game of the football season at Ulysses to a Saturday, due to not being able to get officials. If this shortage gets any worse there is a possibility that athletes could have some of their games canceled and have a shortened season.

So, what is the real reason so many referees are quitting their job? Treatment of officials makes a huge impact when some are on the border of already deciding whether or not to continue working. I think we can all agree that parents are the hardest on officials. Another reason why we have a shortage of officials is due to Covid. Many referees were already fleeing at an alarming rate and Covid was the nail in the coffin.

What can we do to bring some of these officials back and stop the alarming rate that they are leaving? First of all, we can start with more respect. With the treatment of officials being one of the main reasons they are quitting their jobs, parents, spectators, coaches, and even athletes can treat these referees with more respect. Just because our team lost the game, doesn’t always mean that it was the fault of those people in the striped shirts. The shocking part is that varsity football officials can make $100 on a Friday night, yet they chose not too. Officiating volleyball for a weekend tournament pays upwards of $400.

This just goes to show that the treatment of officials isn’t good. On the other side, the NFHS and officials could help themselves by having and attending more training. If they attend more training they should, in turn, be in better positions to make calls, which will help them see the play more clearly, ensuring that the correct call is made. Being in the correct position would likely increase the number of correct calls. That by itself could help reduce some of the poor treatment they are receiving.

Another thing we can do is recruit younger officials who are just getting started with their post high school careers. Just this alone might not be enough, but if we offered a small starting bonus per game, or if there was a way to get them a reduced price on their officiating gear, then maybe they would be more inclined to take the position. With the shortage of officials right now many high school and youth sports could soon be at risk of losing games or losing seasons. If we do not figure out a way to bring back more referees and recruit new ones, the sports that teach children life lessons could be gone sooner than later.