63% of NCHSAA official have considered quitting

[notanyonesfan]

This is a bit of a shocking article, at least to me. But I also can understand why also. Thoughts? Lets certainly hope this doesn't actually happen in the future but it seems like a very significant issue

Survey finds more than half of NCHSAA officials considered quitting, sportsmanship is top reason

The number one reason officials stop officiating high school sports in North Carolina is poor sportsmanship and more than half of the officials have considered quitting in the last two years, according to results from a survey conducted by the N.C. High School Athletic Association.

www.highschoolot.com

 

[Otis4411]

Those at the SWE - West Craven JV game last night need to quit and find something else to do. They were pitiful. They could not figure out how to flip the field after the 1st qtr. We were laughing at them. 3 of them were discussing what they needed to do and finally finally the side judge on the SWE side ( home side) came over and showed them how to correctly spot the ball and in what direction to set the chains and down marker. We gave him a big cheer. Believe it or not but they did it again after the 3rd qtr. SWE had the ball on their 43 yd line. 57 yds from pay dirt. Follow me now. The chain crew headed in the correct direction but the side judge on our side of the field called them back and set the chains starting on the 43 headed the other way. So now they are 43 yds from pay dirt. All they did was left the ball in place and flipped the 2 teams around. We were so far ahead I don't even think our coaches cared. They didn't argue it anyway. We watched the guy with the down marker move it in their favor almost every play about a yard. The side judge would look at it to spot where the ball was.

 

[GrizzlyDevil]

Otis...it's part of the issue. Those worth their weight in refereeing don't get paid enough to stay and do it.

Sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes it doesn't matter. For referees it matters.

If the NCHSAA makes it matter, then things change. Pay the good ones, fire the bad ones, incentivize new ones to come.

Much of the old guard is retiring soon too...they'll be a shortage if something isn't done now.

 

[FHJackets90]

I pulled chains for awhile and got to hear some mouthy coaches during that time who used some very colorful language in front of kids. A few, not many, who berated refs from begin to end. Worse than coaches was some of the fans. Always the ones standing along the fence who thought they knew better than the coaches and refs. Playoffs always seemed to be the worst. Hateful language towards the refs and jawing with opposing players when they got close. Many who were parents or relatives of kids on the team. This year though I've seen some of the worst calls I've seen in a long time and some referees look lost or they're just there to collect a paycheck instead of call a game. FH had one of those last Friday. He wouldn't throw flag for anything even a blatant personal foul that happened right in front of him. We've currently got a combination of unprofessional coaches, bad fans and bad refs and they're clashing more than ever.

 

[cubfan1908]

I 100% agree. I did it for years and got tired of dealing with the crap. Most coaches are very good men. Very few ever gave me problems. The fan behavior seemed to get worse every year.

 

[sam]

The parents/ fans are always worse than the coaches. Always. It’s the same at every age level.

 

[sam]

Football refs actually take the least abuse of all the main sports at the high school level due to their distance from the crowd. Baseball, softball and basketball are much worse. Even volleyball is bad.

 

[thekidd12]

I don’t know why anyone would be surprised by this article. Fans as well as athletes have become increasingly hostile in their attitudes towards officials. How many times on these boards alone have people posted That crew or that guy need to quit because they obviously don’t know the game and/or rules? Now multiply that one post by several hundred and throw in quite a few expletives and you get what an official hears almost every game, especially if it’s a close contest. Football is bad but at least you’re kind of insulated due to distance. Basketball is the worst due to enclosed space and proximity. I was on plate for a game last spring in a HS baseball game. Called strike one on batter and momma started with the “that ain’t been a strike all day” mantra. Batter actually turned and said “Shutup momma it was right down the middle” And that’s just one example of a situation that turned out fine but a lot of them do not. Young people don’t want that abuse for what is not all that much money when you consider travel expenses and possibly eating somewhere if you find anything open at that time of night. Oh and there’s also the expenses of uniforms for different sports and in the case of baseball/softball equipment. So guys I know it’s difficult but try and remember some of my long winded post when you’re yelling at that blind, ignorant so and so next athletic event you attend. Remember if you don’t have officials, whether good or bad, you just have PE…

 

[thekidd12]

Football refs actually take the least abuse of all the main sports at the high school level due to their distance from the crowd. Baseball, softball and basketball are much worse. Even volleyball is bad.

See that was perfect and far fewer words than mine 😂

 

[Shelltown2002]

Show us the money‼️ $94 for a varsity game that’s a hour away and you have to be there a hour and a half before the game starts. Friday nights really ain’t worth the money

 

[thekidd12]

Show us the money‼️ $94 for a varsity game that’s a hour away and you have to be there a hour and a half before the game starts. Friday nights really ain’t worth the money

Baseball is $74.50…
And no clock 😂

 

[Shelltown2002]

Baseball is $74.50…
And no clock 😂

How long do the games normally last

 

[thekidd12]

How long do the games normally last

Between 2-4 1/2 hours.

 

[Sportsnut17]

Here is the breakdown.

 

[Otis4411]

Well we had a great crew tonight. They called a good game both ways I thought. I might would have considered being an official but with my job as a lineman and being on call at various times I just can't do something like that.

 

[thekidd12]

Well we had a great crew tonight. They called a good game both ways I thought. I might would have considered being an official but with my job as a lineman and being on call at various times I just can't do something like that.

This^^^is a good post that won’t happen on any other thread besides this one. If officials do a “good” job, in other words go unnoticed, then people talk about the players or game itself. That’s how it should be. However read around the threads from last night’s games. Several could have went the other way if officiated differently or refs just sucked 😂
I don’t know how true these statements are but that’s part, a huge part, of why no younger people are looking into becoming an official.

 

[Otis4411]

This^^^is a good post that won’t happen on any other thread besides this one. If officials do a “good” job, in other words go unnoticed, then people talk about the players or game itself. That’s how it should be. However read around the threads from last night’s games. Several could have went the other way if officiated differently or refs just sucked 😂
I don’t know how true these statements are but that’s part, a huge part, of why no younger people are looking into becoming an official.

We certainly had calls go against us that kept points off the board last night. But I was on the sideline and stayed pretty much on the line of scrimmage watching. Every call they made I would have to say was a good call. There was never any confusion among them or with the coaches. When they made a call they communicated with the staff on what it was and who. Once I even heard the side judge explain to the coach a out what the kid did and there was no more questioning it. I thought they did a great job last night. We enjoyed a football game and not a side show as sometimes I have seen.

 

[NC Joker]

I say pay the good ones - hope the bad ones quit or get fired.
Some of the JV officials are terrible and biased.
Up the pay and require better training. That's the only way it's going to get better.
There's some really good officials out there. Money is the motive for better results.

 

[thekidd12]

I say pay the good ones - hope the bad ones quit or get fired.
Some of the JV officials are terrible and biased.
Up the pay and require better training. That's the only way it's going to get better.
There's some really good officials out there. Money is the motive for better results.

Maybe… with the recruitment process I would say you are correct. However if you notice the number one reason was not
money.
And I’m not trying to argue at all but when is the “better training” going to get done? Officiating is not a full time job for any HS referee/umpire. They work 40 hour a week jobs just like most, unless they farm and then who knows how many. Then attend several weekends of clinics each year to learn about rule changes, positioning, etc.
Not sure how “more training” is even feasible. Like in every job, school, sport there are some better at things than others. Just in officiating it’s becoming a smaller group to choose from.
And behavior is the main reason why…

 

[Sportsnut17]

Up the pay and require better training. That's the only way it's going to get better.
There's some really good officials out there. Money is the motive for better results.

More training, I would venture to say current training schedule is keeping some younger guys away.

Required:
1. At least 6, 1 and 1/2 hour classroom training
2. Work at least 3 preseason scrimmages, lasting anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours at no pay.
3. Attend NCHSAA state clinic, lasting approximately 1 1/2 hours. And in some cases drive 2 hours to get to it.
4. Attend local association meeting, lasting approximately 3 hours.
All this before you make 1 dollar.

Then throw in, in football a minimum $300 in equipment.

OBTW: NCHSAA registration fees of about $75
Local association fee of $95.

i have been officiating football for 35 years, check is nice, but I certainly did not do it for the money. i still really enjoy being on the field, the many friends that I have made and it keeps me very close to the game I love. Do to some health issues I have not worked a game since mid September. Damn I miss it, but I don’t miss the check.

 

[thekidd12]

More training, I would venture to say current training schedule is keeping some younger guys away.

Required:
1. At least 6, 1 and 1/2 hour classroom training
2. Work at least 3 preseason scrimmages, lasting anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours at no pay.
3. Attend NCHSAA state clinic, lasting approximately 1 1/2 hours. And in some cases drive 2 hours to get to it.
4. Attend local association meeting, lasting approximately 3 hours.
All this before you make 1 dollar.

Then throw in, in football a minimum $300 in equipment.

OBTW: NCHSAA registration fees of about $75
Local association fee of $95.

i have been officiating football for 35 years, check is nice, but I certainly did not do it for the money. i still really enjoy being on the field, the many friends that I have made and it keeps me very close to the game I love. Do to some health issues I have not worked a game since mid September. Damn I miss it, but I don’t miss the check.

Whoops…
Should have read yours before I edited mine. Great job

 

[UNCLE-DADDY]

These officials are people. They are missing their own child's game in order to officiate our games, and we just lost that. They aren't doing it for the money. For them, it's about the passion, ambition, and desire to learn more about the game. They are currently quite thinly distributed. To encourage more men and women to join, refs are specially employed in Charlotte at the age of 15 with certain incentives. This issue is extremely important. A parent's devotion is admirable, and the local team needs their support. But so too is their restraint. Yelling, screaming, and verbally abusing the officials makes their child feel embarrassed, irritates the people sitting next to them, disgraces their local school district, and is a major factor in North Carolina's shortage of high school officials.

 

[NC Joker]

More training, I would venture to say current training schedule is keeping some younger guys away.

Required:
1. At least 6, 1 and 1/2 hour classroom training
2. Work at least 3 preseason scrimmages, lasting anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours at no pay.
3. Attend NCHSAA state clinic, lasting approximately 1 1/2 hours. And in some cases drive 2 hours to get to it.
4. Attend local association meeting, lasting approximately 3 hours.
All this before you make 1 dollar.

Then throw in, in football a minimum $300 in equipment.

OBTW: NCHSAA registration fees of about $75
Local association fee of $95.

i have been officiating football for 35 years, check is nice, but I certainly did not do it for the money. i still really enjoy being on the field, the many friends that I have made and it keeps me very close to the game I love. Do to some health issues I have not worked a game since mid September. Damn I miss it, but I don’t miss the check.

We need more like you - the shortage is for real

 

[NC Joker]

Thanks Sportsnut✌️

 

[bigtime_87]

Seemed like their were alot of new officials in the piedmont triad area this season.

 

[Sportsnut17]

Seemed like their were alot of new officials in the piedmont triad area this season.

There was, let’s just see if they continue.

 

[buzzcoach]

More training, I would venture to say current training schedule is keeping some younger guys away.

Required:
1. At least 6, 1 and 1/2 hour classroom training
2. Work at least 3 preseason scrimmages, lasting anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours at no pay.
3. Attend NCHSAA state clinic, lasting approximately 1 1/2 hours. And in some cases drive 2 hours to get to it.
4. Attend local association meeting, lasting approximately 3 hours.
All this before you make 1 dollar.

Then throw in, in football a minimum $300 in equipment.

OBTW: NCHSAA registration fees of about $75
Local association fee of $95.

i have been officiating football for 35 years, check is nice, but I certainly did not do it for the money. i still really enjoy being on the field, the many friends that I have made and it keeps me very close to the game I love. Do to some health issues I have not worked a game since mid September. Damn I miss it, but I don’t miss the check.

Dont forget we work scrimmage games for free!