Officiating

[powerp]

After watching many games this year and seeing all state championship games, it’s obvious referees struggled with consistency of basic rules this year and were flag happy in many games. With a lack of refs in the association, it won’t get better. So, what’s the answer for more consistency? Better training? More preseason scrimmages? Better pay for new officials?

Edited December 4, 2022 by powerp

[CCLHL89]

6 minutes ago, powerp said:

After watching many games this year and seeing all state championship games, it’s obvious referees struggled with consistency of basic rules this year and were flag happy in many games. With a lack of refs in the association, it won’t get better. So, what’s the answer for more consistency? Better training? More preseason scrimmages? Better pay for new officials?

The pay has to be better to get people out to do it. It's not even worth it, losing your Friday nights with your family, plus having to travel. The T$$AA makes enough to give the refs a great check each game. They don't even have to pay chain crews in the regular season. 

[Bledsoebtheboys]

I would say the pay for the headache they have to put up with every week.

[TryNotToSuck]

3 minutes ago, powerp said:

After watching many games this year and seeing all state championship games, it’s obvious referees struggled with consistency of basic rules this year and were flag happy in many games. With a lack of refs in the association, it won’t get better. So, what’s the answer for more consistency? Better training? More preseason scrimmages? Better pay for new officials?

Can't do better pay for officials. Schools are paying a "gas fee" for each official that travels a certain distance. Schools aren't really "paying" for that, they're just rising admission and concession stand prices to offset that. So the fans are basically paying for that at certain schools. Now, I do believe the reason behind that was due to the huge rise in gas prices that we all went through months ago. By the way, "better pay" will not equate to more consistency. It doesn't mean the officials will better at what they do. It will equate to officials staying in the game longer and "officiating for money" when it's probably best for them to no longer officiate. 

[CCLHL89]

2 minutes ago, TryNotToSuck said:

Can't do better pay for officials. Schools are paying a "gas fee" for each official that travels a certain distance. Schools aren't really "paying" for that, they're just rising admission and concession stand prices to offset that. So the fans are basically paying for that at certain schools. Now, I do believe the reason behind that was due to the huge rise in gas prices that we all went through months ago. By the way, "better pay" will not equate to more consistency. It doesn't mean the officials will better at what they do. It will equate to officials staying in the game longer and "officiating for money" when it's probably best for them to no longer officiate. 

The schools have to pay for that? Wow, learn something new every day. That's honestly embarrassing on the T$$AA'$ part.

[TryNotToSuck]

1 minute ago, CCLHL89 said:

The schools have to pay for that? Wow, learn something new every day. That's honestly embarrassing on the T$$AA'$ part.

Schools have to pay for the officials in the regular season. TSSAA will pay for them in the postseason. However, schools cut out the TSSAA a check for each game. 

[CCLHL89]

1 minute ago, TryNotToSuck said:

Schools have to pay for the officials in the regular season. TSSAA will pay for them in the postseason. However, schools cut out the TSSAA a check for each game. 

Laughable!! Just ridiculous.. where does all the money T$$AA profits go to? 

[footballover]

A TSSAA football official makes $115 for a Varsity game on Thursday/Friday night. TSSAA added $10 if you travel over 30 miles to the school you're working $20 over 60 miles

They have to be there at least 1 hr and a half before kickoff. Games are typically 3 hours. They have to drive to and from the game. Sometimes they are offered food after the game sometimes they aren't. So $115 for 5 hours of their time. Good money? Not hardly.

I'd say the average age of a TSSAA official is 50+

All you have to do to become an official is go to www.tssaa.org pay your $70 and pass a background check and you're in. Oh yeah drop about $300 on your uniform and equipment and you're good to go. Hope to see some new faces next year instead of these 75 yr old men hanging on to get their 50 years of service award

[CCLHL89]

34 minutes ago, footballover said:

A TSSAA football official makes $115 for a Varsity game on Thursday/Friday night. TSSAA added $10 if you travel over 30 miles to the school you're working $20 over 60 miles

They have to be there at least 1 hr and a half before kickoff. Games are typically 3 hours. They have to drive to and from the game. Sometimes they are offered food after the game sometimes they aren't. So $115 for 5 hours of their time. Good money? Not hardly.

I'd say the average age of a TSSAA official is 50+

All you have to do to become an official is go to www.tssaa.org pay your $70 and pass a background check and you're in. Oh yeah drop about $300 on your uniform and equipment and you're good to go. Hope to see some new faces next year instead of these 75 yr old men hanging on to get their 50 years of service award

Hit the nail on the head FL.

[rlh]

9 hours ago, CCLHL89 said:

Laughable!! Just ridiculous.. where does all the money T$$AA profits go to? 

There are 2 or 3 of the TSSAA officials that make around $200K a year and several others in the 6 figures. 

[BIGPURPLEMACHINE]

8 hours ago, footballover said:

A TSSAA football official makes $115 for a Varsity game on Thursday/Friday night. TSSAA added $10 if you travel over 30 miles to the school you're working $20 over 60 miles

They have to be there at least 1 hr and a half before kickoff. Games are typically 3 hours. They have to drive to and from the game. Sometimes they are offered food after the game sometimes they aren't. So $115 for 5 hours of their time. Good money? Not hardly.

I'd say the average age of a TSSAA official is 50+

All you have to do to become an official is go to www.tssaa.org pay your $70 and pass a background check and you're in. Oh yeah drop about $300 on your uniform and equipment and you're good to go. Hope to see some new faces next year instead of these 75 yr old men hanging on to get their 50 years of service award

Good stuff ballover….

[wholder]

I know this for a fact because I’ve done it 14 years…..

$115 per Friday night game ...

3:30-5:30 .. Drive to game (you pay the gas)

5:30-7:00 .. Get dressed, pregame, talk to coaches, go thru all checklists for the game, check equipment

7:00-8:00 .. Kickoff and first half (get screamed and cursed at, run about a mile) 

8:00-8:20 .. Halftime (rest, eat a bag of chips and a bottle of water if the school is nice enough to provide it) 

8:20-9:30 .. 2nd half (get cursed and screamed at even worse, especially if the game is tight going down the stretch, run another mile)

9:30 -10:00 .. Leave the field with police as security, shower, change clothes, leave the school

10:00-10:15 .. Drive to the closest fast food jointbecause you're starving

10:15-10:45 .. wait in line and eventually scarf down a dry burger with fries

10:45-12:45 .. Drive home (you once again pay the gas) 

Hopefully be in bed by 1:30 am .. 

3:30 - 12:30 is 9 hours ... 

$115 for 9 hours equals $12.77 per hour 

Oh yeah, take off $20 in gas .. 

$95 for 9 hours equals $10.50 per hour .. 

(You've also spent $400 on equipment, officials pants, shirts, shoes, flags etc) 

Any idea what a high school profits on a Friday night game ??? These officials are the guys you gotta have to make that money ... They do it because they love it .. not for the money ... While you are watching your kids play, they are away from their families .. Pay em .. they earn it .. and from what they have to go thru, theydeserve it !!!!

 

 

Then you have all the Association politics to deal with. If your not in the “Click” you get left out. The Assigners in each association gets paid $100 a game just to assign. They never set  foot on the field. He assigns 10-15 games a week which is $1000 - $1500 a week. That times 11 weeks is a good chunk of $& each year 

Edited December 4, 2022 by wholder