I realize that NFHS questions are not the best to ask in this forum, however I need credible input so I come to you with this inquiry. In regards to pay for working high school games - not high school age, but high school play - may I ask what the pay levels are where you live and work games for varsity, JVA and JVB? Additionally, if there are any amendments to this such as a +/- factor when working a combination of games as well as do you receive any travel compensation. Would this be the same for scrimmage play? Does the pay level change for state tournament games? Thank you in advance!
Although it wasn't specific to NFHS, there was a thread titled Referee Pay that discussed pay rates. It definitely had some NFHS data in there. Might be a good place to start.
Having served on the state's "fee review committee," I will say that 1. every state does it a little differently 2. sometimes the game fees collected from the schools are paid to the officials a little differently. E.g. if the schools are paying, say, $120 for three officials, the center may get $60 and the AR's $30 each, rather than splitting the money $40 each. Remember that I said that this "may" be the way it works. 3. mileage, back to back games, cancelled games, etc. is all over the map. 4. because it's high school sports, not specifically soccer, comparability with other sports may come into play. Or, in short, my telling you how it's done in my state will add no value to looking at how it's done in your area.
I do not understand why an honest request is treated with such smugness. I have been in the game and working as a referee probably longer than many of those who post here have been alive. What I am looking for is some hard data as to what the high school fees are in your state. There are many components that go into the determination of what the scale shoud be and as an economist I cannot begin to formulate an argument for fee increases where I am without having some comparative agument relative to other states. Can anyone help out with data or not?
Worse than that state wide Oklahoma isn't consistent. I've heard that in Tulsa, if the school isn't in Tulsa proper, they will pay mileage whereas in the western half of the state, if you're within 60 miles they don't, and anything within 25 miles of OKC doesn't pay mileage no matter where you come from. Those that do pay mileage only pay one and you are expected to carpool. Additionally, there are 4 schools within half an hour of each other. One pays $5 more per game because the small town has a large Goodyear tire plant that pumps tons of tax dollars into the school system.
Alabama: I cut out of the spring sports book... Regular Season: High School Varsity = $55.00 per Center Referee; $45.00 per Assistant Referee. Junior Varsity = $45.00 per Center Referee; $35.00 per Assistant Referee. Junior High (Grades 7-9) = $40.00 per Center Referee; $30.00 per Assistant Referee. Alternate (4th) Official = $25.00 per official Mileage Allowance = $8.00 per official per day. Mileage Allowance (Over 60 Miles) = $10.00 per official per day. Championship Playoffs: The game fee per Center Referee for the Prelim Rounds will be $60.00 plus Mileage Allowance. The game fee per Assistant Referee for the Prelim Rounds will be $50.00 plus Mileage Allowance. The game fee per Center Referee for the State Finals will be $65.00 plus Mileage Allowance. The game fee per Assistant Referee for the State Finals will be $55.00 plus Mileage Allowance. 3-Member Crew (Per Official Per Day) Sub-State Rounds Mileage Allowance $20 State Finals Round Mileage Allowance $30
Arkansas is a relatively low-wage state, and referee fees often reflect that. Game fees vary somewhat with the school size and location, but in my part of the state they can be summarized as follows: 1. All games are scheduled with three man crews if at all possible 2. For varsity games referees are paid $45-$55 per game, ARs are $30-$40. 3. JV "games" vary widely, both in duration (two 30 minute halves or one 40 minute half) and pay ($10-$15 per position less than varsity) 4. The only schools that pay mileage are those that will have no referees if they don't. Mileage can be $.50 per mile on the high end, or a modest bump in the game fees on the low end ($10-$25 for a two game set). 5. State tournament games rates are slightly higher ($5-$10?), and mileage is paid.
Fees are uniform for all schools in Utah. Beginning next year, which will complete a three-year fee increase period, fees will be as follows: Varsity: $53 referee, $37 AR Sub-varsity: $34 all positions (most schools use two referees on subvarsity games, but some use three) Postseason: $56 all positions Mileage: $0.40/mile for every mile as a driver over 50 miles round trip, $0.05/mile for every mile as a rider over 50 miles round trip When you live in an urban area, as most Utah referees do, mileage is rarely a factor. We have 102 schools in the state playing boys soccer this year. 33 of those schools are within a 25-mile radius of my house in Salt Lake City, which means I'd be paid no mileage for working at those schools. Another dozen or so schools are only slightly beyond that 25-mile one-way threshold for me, which means the mileage fee I'd receive would be insubstantial. I've gotten a mileage fee of more than $10 maybe two or three times ever. Rural schools ask referees to carpool so they only have to pay one driver fee. These are typically the only schools that use three referees on their subvarsity games since it's cheaper for them to pay for a third referee on the subvarsity game than to pay a second driver fee. I can also speak for Wyoming, since we're sometimes asked to drive to schools in southwestern Wyoming (the state line is around 75 minutes from Salt Lake City) where they seem to have a shortage of soccer referees. In Wyoming, all positions are paid $55 for varsity games and $45 for subvarsity games. Additionally, Wyoming pays $0.55/mile for every mile as a driver. As I recall, they also pay $0.05/mile for every mile as a rider.
For GA it's as follows: Varsity two man: $62/official Varsity three man: $48/Center, $24/AR JV two man: $48/official Travel Fees: $20 for 1 official, $30 for 2 officials, $35 for 3 officials, $40 for 4 officials. The fee chart doesn't specify a distance requirement. There are only two schools my assignor works with that are outside our immediate local area. One is about 40 minutes away. The other is close to an hour. State Playoffs: $420/Crew ($120/Center, $110/AR, $80/4O) There are no travel fees for playoff matches
Illinois: Varsity $62 all positions Sub varsity: $57 if solo or $51 if dual. (never had a 3 man system on a sub varsity) If you working a JV and Varsity double header they cut the pay to $92 for both games. The explanation I was given is that the fee includes some driving to and from the school and since you are only driving once they cut your fee for the double header. I'm mostly a USSF ref and never did post season matches for High school but my understanding is that fees are the same and no mileage is paid.
New York State fees change across the regions. I believe that Long Island has one of the highest fees in the entire country: 2013 Fee Level of game $111.00 Varsity Game with partner $166.50 Varsity Game without partner $83.00 Jr. Varsity Game with partner $124.50 Jr. Varsity Game without partner $73.00 Middle School game with partner $87.50 Middle School game with partner* (5-quarters or 4 x 18 quarters) $109.50 Middle School game without partner $131.25 Middle School game without partner* (5-quarters or 4 x 18 quarters) Late Fee Is 1/4 of the Regular Game Fee (all levels) $37.00 Travel Fee** (for all levels) BOCES Fees in Hudson Valley for 2014 Varsity: $102 Junior Varsity: $79 Frosh: $79 Modified: $71 Modified fifth quarter: +$18 Work Alone: fee and a half Scrimmage: $60 Travel fee: $38 starting late fee (over half hour): $30 starting late fee (over one hour): $45 Turnback fee: $10 Turnback fee (day of game): $25
Texas High School Soccer (depends on length of halves): Three officials: 25 minutes Referee: $40 ARs: $25 35 minutes Referee: $45 ARs: $30 40 minutes Referee: $50 ARs: $35 Dual 25 minutes Referee: $40 35 minutes Referee: $45 40 minutes Referee: $50 Playoffs: Up to Reg, Quarterfinal Referee: Referee: $60 ARs: $50 Regional Semi or Final Referee: Referee: $70 ARs: $55 Mileage is a little complicated. There are two systems: metro, which is flat rate depending on distance from the center of the area covered by the chapter; and non-metro, which is the state mileage rate reduced by the number of officials driving (.75 for two drivers, .60 for three).
In St. Louis, Missouri Area here is haw its broken down Type Total 1st Game 2nd Game JV / Freshman $48.00 $ 48.00 n/a JV / Freshman (DBL) $81.00 $ 48.00 $ 33.00 VAR / JV-FR (DBL) $102.00 $ 64.00 $ 38.00 VAR 2 Man $64.00 $ 64.00 n/a VAR (DBL) $115.00 $ 64.00 $ 51.00 Var 3 Man $62.50 $ 62.50 n/a Var 3 Man (DBL) $110.00 $ 62.50 $ 47.50 Travel incentives vary from $8 to $18 depending on school. Some schools have a different pay scale because of long distances.
I am not sure why you think there were some smug answers, especially as a simple search query would have found this thread from June... https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/input-on-fees-please.1990734/#post-28242655
I'm sorry if you think my response was smug. I think the subsequent postings demonstrate that pay programs are all over the place, with a wide variety of terms and conditions that may or may not be applicable in your area. Any time I have tried to discuss comparable pay rates in other states, school administrators have always replied, "We're not trying to get referees from Georgia." (or wherever.) It comes down to that old reliable, supply and demand. If you don't have enough referees, you need to raise pay, in one form or another. And if you don't have "enough," do your schools allow/encourage the use of the dual system to compensate for that? Or are they willing to pay more total dollars per game to get three officials on a game, because they see that as producing a better quality game? If your state has a state mandated pay scale, it is probably the result of a decision by your state high school sports and activities association. In that case, you are talking about selling superintendents and principals on pay for officials, rather than athletic directors and vice principals. IMHO, that's an entirely different kettle of fish.
I disagree that supply and demand seem to be in play. There is a serious shortage of refs, partially because they don't pay enough (especially with driving/ gas costs) but those that are doing it keep begin guilted into taking more games so they get played. Good for kids, not good for "business." Fees here haven't changed for several years. Gas prices certainly have.
Our state is pretty well organized by regions. In Mid Iowa, the local soccer referee organization has negotiated with the local school conferences to set fees with agreed to modest increases and assigns all their games for a fee. We assign about 1000 games each Spring with 3 officials on Varsity and JV games. 2 officials on freshman games. The clubs basically shutdown U16 and U19 during the Spring.
You disagree that supply and demand seem to be in play, then say there is a serious shortage because they don't pay enough. What exactly is YOUR definition of supply and demand!? (And I highly doubt your altruistic theory.)
I appreciate the response so far; exactly what I need. As far as being no help since it is all over the place; this diversity of data represented is what I need in order to formulate any foundation for our coming discussion on any fee increase. It is difficult to present an argument without any data to support the differing positions. Please, anyone who would like to continue to provide data be my guest. I honestly cannot have too much data for the presentation and discussion. Thank you in advance!
Oklahoma Pays: Single/Dual/Referee/AR Varsity: 55/50/45/40 JV: 50/45/40/35 Middle school is 25 and the max number of referees given is duals, Freshmen games get the same rates as varsity. Mileage is based on round trip between zip codes. 75-100 miles is $25, 50-75 is 20, 25-50 is $15.
Well I get emails every single day pleading for refs for various games and assignors are already pressuring to get fall hs games covered. I personally have done many games where the gas money there and back reduced my pay to minimum wage and no way I'd be doing it except to make sure the kids got to play. That's just what I see.
Wouldn't the most relevant data be a pay comparison across local games - whether it is HS, local affiliated youth, or local adult matches? While knowing what referees in other states are making for games can be helpful - particularly if one's state or association seems to be below a reasonable rate, referee supply and demand is largely a local market matter. And even a direct comparison of pay rates misses intangibles such as how competitive and enjoyable are the matches; are game fees paid in a timely and reliable manner; are you working with other motivated referees; and is assigning generally based on ability or is it primarily a good-ole boy system with lots of politics?
Actually, the economic theory relates DEMAND, SUPPLY, and PRICE together into an equilibrium state where SUPPLY=DEMAND (always). The PRICE fluctuates to ensure SUPPLY=DEMAND. The problem being is that if some state rule-body is artificially setting the price (without the input of the DEMANDERS), then the system will not be in equilibrium.
If the prices aren't raised, when is the NFHS lockout of referees? Will there be replacements from Ireland? Stay tuned.....