Nc high school referee pay. NCHSAA Study: Addressing Referee Shortage with Pay Increases and Sportsmanship Penalties

How can North Carolina high school sports tackle the referee shortage. What recommendations does the NCHSAA study propose to improve officiating conditions. Why are higher pay and stricter sportsmanship penalties crucial for retaining and recruiting officials.

The Current State of High School Officiating in North Carolina

North Carolina high school sports are facing a significant challenge: a pronounced shortage of referees and officials across all sports. This decline has been years in the making but was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has taken a proactive approach to address this issue by forming an ad hoc subcommittee to study the high school officiating experience in the state.

The subcommittee conducted a comprehensive survey between July 25 and August 5, garnering responses from 3,115 officials, representing 42% of the potential 7,400 officials in the state. This high response rate indicates that officials have significant concerns and are eager to voice their opinions on the matter.

Key Findings from the NCHSAA Survey

• 55% of current officials are aged 55 and older
• 77% of officials are over age 45
• 53% of current officials have considered leaving high school sports
• Nine sports were represented in the survey, with basketball, football, and baseball having the highest participation

These statistics paint a concerning picture of an aging officiating workforce, with many considering leaving the profession. This trend, combined with the retirements that occurred during the pandemic, has created a “recipe for bigger short-term issues,” according to the subcommittee’s report.

Recommendations for Improving the Officiating Experience

Based on the survey results, the NCHSAA subcommittee has put forward two primary recommendations to address the officiating shortage:

1. An immediate, across-the-board pay increase with more regular increases
2. Doubling down on penalties for poor sportsmanship from everyone — coaches, players, and especially fans

These recommendations aim to tackle the two most significant issues facing high school officials: compensation and the challenging environment they often face during games.

The Importance of Pay Increases

Currently, varsity officials and referees in North Carolina earn between $64 (for soccer) and $94.50 (for football) per game. However, they are not compensated for mileage to and from games, which can significantly impact their overall earnings.

Why are pay increases crucial for retaining and recruiting officials? Higher compensation can:

• Attract new, younger individuals to the profession
• Provide incentive for current officials to continue their work
• Offset the costs associated with travel and equipment
• Demonstrate the value placed on officiating in high school sports

Addressing Poor Sportsmanship and Fan Behavior

The second major recommendation focuses on improving the overall environment for officials by implementing stricter penalties for poor sportsmanship. This initiative aims to create a more positive and respectful atmosphere during games, particularly from fans.

How can schools be incentivized to control poor sportsmanship before officials need to intervene? Some potential strategies include:

• Implementing a point system for schools based on fan behavior
• Offering rewards or recognition for schools with exemplary sportsmanship
• Providing training for school administrators on managing fan conduct
• Creating clear guidelines and consequences for unsportsmanlike behavior

The Ripple Effect of Legislative Changes

The NCHSAA’s focus on improving officiating conditions is part of a larger context of changes in the organization’s structure and oversight. In 2021, bills sponsored by three Senate Republicans could have led to the disbanding of the NCHSAA. After negotiations, a new memorandum of understanding was reached with the State Board of Education, allowing the NCHSAA to retain its oversight with significant administrative and policy changes.

This agreement, which extends through the 2026-27 school year, has prompted the NCHSAA to take a more proactive approach in addressing issues like the officiating shortage. The survey and resulting recommendations are a direct response to these changes and the need to ensure the sustainability of high school sports in North Carolina.

The Impact on Schools and Athletic Departments

The shortage of officials has created challenging situations for athletic directors and schools across the state. Many are being told by regional referee supervisors that full crews cannot be provided for all games, including varsity contests. This shortage is particularly problematic for sports with multiple games per week during the regular season.

What are the consequences of reduced officiating crews?

• Increased tension and frustration among players, coaches, and fans
• Difficulty covering critical angles of play, potentially affecting game outcomes
• Added stress on the available officials, who must cover more ground
• Potential safety concerns due to inadequate coverage of the field or court

John Sullivan, athletic director for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, emphasized the importance of officials to high school athletics: “We certainly value and appreciate what our referees mean to high school athletics. Having a trusted, reliable and well-trained pool of referees managed by the NCHSAA is invaluable.”

Potential Solutions and Enhancements

In addition to pay increases and stricter sportsmanship penalties, the NCHSAA study suggests other enhancements to improve the officiating experience. These include:

• Providing snacks for officials during games
• Ensuring secure changing areas for officials
• Encouraging school administrators and athletic officials to take a more active role in addressing fan behavior
• Implementing regular training and development opportunities for officials

How can these enhancements contribute to official retention and recruitment?

• Improved working conditions can increase job satisfaction
• Secure changing areas enhance safety and comfort for officials
• Active management of fan behavior creates a more positive work environment
• Ongoing training opportunities support professional growth and confidence

The Role of Private, Religious, and Charter Schools

While the NCHSAA oversees public high school athletics, private, religious, and charter schools have their own statewide oversight authorities. However, these schools often rely on NCHSAA-certified officials and tend to pay similar or slightly higher game fees.

How does the officiating shortage affect these schools?

• They may face similar challenges in securing full officiating crews
• There could be increased competition for available officials
• They may need to consider adjusting their pay scales to attract officials
• Collaboration with the NCHSAA on officiating initiatives may become more crucial

Next Steps and Implementation

The NCHSAA board of directors is expected to address the survey results and recommendations during meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. The implementation of these recommendations could have far-reaching effects on high school sports in North Carolina.

What factors will the NCHSAA need to consider when implementing these changes?

• Budgetary implications for schools and districts
• Timeline for phasing in pay increases
• Development of new policies and procedures for addressing sportsmanship
• Strategies for recruiting new, younger officials to the profession
• Collaboration with schools, coaches, and parents to create a more positive environment for officials

As the NCHSAA moves forward with these recommendations, the goal is clear: to create a sustainable, positive, and attractive environment for high school sports officials in North Carolina. By addressing the key issues of compensation and sportsmanship, the association hopes to not only retain current officials but also attract new individuals to this crucial role in high school athletics.

The success of these initiatives will likely depend on the collaborative efforts of the NCHSAA, school administrators, coaches, players, and fans. As John Sullivan noted, “We want nothing but the best environment possible for our student athletes.” Achieving this goal will require a commitment from all stakeholders to value and support the officials who make high school sports possible.

NCHSAA study recommends better pay, more penalties for poor sportsmanship.

Richard Craver

North Carolina high school sports are experiencing a pronounced shortage of all referees and officials, a decline years in the making but deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Can a per-game pay increase, as well as other game-related enhancements such as providing a snack and secured changing areas, stem the tide and even reverse the decrease?

Would it make a difference if school administrators and athletic officials take a more active role in addressing over-the-top and abusive fan/parent behavior, particularly before being asked by officials under duress?

Those are the primary questions that spurred the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s board of directors to form an ad hoc subcommittee “to study the high school officiating experience in North Carolina.”

The 23-member subcommittee organized a survey that was taken between July 25 and Aug. 5. The 3,115 respondents represented 42% of a potential 7,400 officials.

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The top-two recommendations from the subcommittee:

“An immediate, across-the-board (pay) increase with more regular increases.”

“Doubling down on penalties for poor sportsmanship from everyone — coaches, players, but especially fans. Schools should be incentivized to control this before any official needs to ask.”

The survey represents a ripple effect from the 2021 state legislative session in which bills sponsored by three Senate Republicans could have led to the disbanding of the NCHSAA.

After months of mostly behind-the-scenes negotiations, the NCHSAA agreed to a new memorandum of understanding with the State Board of Education that allowed it to retain its oversight, but with significant administrative and policy changes. The memorandum is good for middle and high schools through at least the end of the 2026-27 school year.

Although private, religious and charter athletic departments have their own statewide oversight authorities, they rely heavily on NCHSAA-certified officials and tend to pay the same or modestly higher game fees.

The survey results are expected to be addressed by the board during meetings Wednesday and Thursday. The NCHSAA could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Officials and referees from nine sports participated, led by 1,182 in basketball, followed by 1,028 in football, 702 baseball, 600 volleyball, 595 soccer, 593 softball, 224 lacrosse, 173 wrestling and 167 swimming/diving.

“Our charge over the summer was to explore the challenges of the retention of current officials and recruitment of new officials, and make recommendations on solutions,” the subcommittee said.

“The survey is the heartbeat of our efforts.”

The high level of response, according to the subcommittee, “indicated … that officials have a lot to say and want to be heard.”

Doses of reality

Over the past year, athletic directors have been told increasingly by regional referee supervisors — who are hired by the NCHSAA — that they cannot provide full crews for all games, including varsity.

That’s particularly true for sports where teams play multiple times per week during the regular season.

Those scenarios often create a level of tension and frustration among players, coaches, fans and officials alike, particularly as reduced crews struggle to cover critical, sometimes game-changing, angles of play.

One sobering dose of reality is that 55% of current survey respondents are ages 55 and older, while 77% are over age 45. Many older referees chose to retire during the pandemic, whether for health reasons or having lost their zeal to officiate.

About 53% of current officials have considered leaving high school sports.

“Add in the aging of the officiating base, and that’s a recipe for bigger short-term issues,” according to the report.

John Sullivan, athletic director for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, said Tuesday the system is taking a wait-and-see approach.

“We certainly value and appreciate what our referees mean to high school athletics,” Sullivan said. “Having a trusted, reliable and well-trained pool of referees managed by the NCHSAA is invaluable.

“We will watch as the NCHSAA works through this pay issue with the referees, and will be prepared to follow the state’s guidance moving forward.

“We want nothing but the best environment possible for our student athletes.”

Fee increases

Varsity officials and referees in North Carolina make between $64 (soccer) and $94.50 (football) per game. The range also includes baseball, basketball, lacrosse, softball and wrestling.

However, officials and referees are not compensated for their mileage to and from games, which some neighboring states provide.

That means high gas prices cut into their fees and discourage referees from accepting matches outside their home county.

“What we saw repeatedly in the answers to open-ended questions was that too many officials of all sports are dissatisfied with their pay,” according to the report.

“An increase (in pay) for all officials in all sports would go a long way to tamping down their unhappiness.”

The report included the fees paid in those seven sports by Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

For example, compared with the $94.50 per game in North Carolina, varsity football officials are paid up to $106 in South Carolina and $115 in Tennessee.

Varsity basketball officials are paid $74.50 per game in North Carolina, $75 in Georgia, $80 in South Carolina and $90 in Tennessee.

In soccer, a varsity official gets $64 per game in North Carolina, $70 in South Carolina, $83 in Georgia and $85 in Tennessee.

Recruitment challenges

Another key issue cited by the subcommittee from the survey is that “lack of pay is a roadblock as a recruitment tool.”

“While tenured officials call (officiate) their sport to stay connected to one another and (to) sports, younger people (that) we need to entice into our program won’t be open to it without meaningful compensation. ”

Another recommendation is that tenured high school officials be given a seasonal or annual registration discount after a certain number of years, as well as providing a discount for officials registered in two or more sports.

The subcommittee recommends enhanced mentorship programs for younger officials, whether directly from the NCHSAA or through regional referee supervisors.

Also recommended is that NCHSAA launch a marketing campaign that promotes the positive aspects of officiating, including public service announcements on sports talk radio, attending job fairs, and reaching out to college intramural programs, high school juniors and seniors.

“On this, we must go big to expose to the next generation of officials the positives of high school sports,” according to the report.

NCHSAA endowment

Officials identified the NCHSAA’s endowment, which has approached $40 million in recent fiscal years, as a potential source to pay for increased game fees.

The endowment has received a significant amount of criticism from some NCHSAA member schools, particularly at the smaller 1-A and 2-A levels where some athletics and administrative officials have questioned why the NCHSAA doesn’t provide additional funds to help pay for uniforms, equipment, field and venue upgrades.

During the 2021 legislative debate, some NCHSAA schools were lukewarm at best about adding to their financial challenges by raising referee fees.

“We acknowledge the financial stress on schools who pay officials, but schools have other avenues to make up this money while officials do not,” according to the report.

“The alternative of no, or a delayed increase, will make this issue more profound.”

Poor sportsmanship

Poor sportsmanship from fans — foremost parents — coaches and players is cited as a key detriment to retention for younger and older officials alike.

According to the survey, 63% of respondents said that poor sportsmanship would be the top factor in exiting high school officiating, while 51% say the top factor would be “the pay is not what it should be. ”

“Young people do not want to officiate because of the abuse,” according to the report.

One potential solution is to ban teams from postseason play if five or more fans are ejected during the regular season.

The subcommittee cited how the Texas Association of Sports Officials “is considering pulling officiating services from schools that cannot control poor sportsmanship.”

“While we understand that school personnel are managing many things during any contest, administrators proactively dealing with any fans who verbally abuse or show extreme behavior toward officials on or off the court/field should be ejected from the venue immediately.”

“This ‘do we have your attention now” move is good.”

In the report’s conclusion, the subcommittee said “we strongly recommend finding these resources to accomplish these items because, regardless of the decision to act on any of these findings, there ultimately will be some kind of cost to the NCHSAA officiating program and its members.

“Either way, there’s a price to pay.”

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Regulations, Fees and Other FAQs

How do I start officiating? 

All officials must register and complete the pre-season requirements for eligibility to work NCHSAA assignments.

Requirements are as follows:

• Complete Registration and Payment
  • Personal Information
  • Background check authorization – Two responses required
  • General Registration – “NO” if wanting to be an eligible NCHSAA official
  • Regional Association
  • Payment
• Requirements for Eligibility Once Registered:
  • Background Check
  • Local Clinics Attendance
  • Local Association Meeting Attendance
  • Scrimmages
  • State Rules Clinic
  • NFHS Concussion Course
  • NFHS Sport Exam
    • 75 + Regular Season Eligible
    • 80 + Post-Season Eligible 

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I’m a new official – do I have to pay a late fee?

No. We have eliminated late registration fees for new officials.  Returning officials must pay a $25 late fee if registering past the individual sports deadline.

As part of a recruitment initiative, the NCHSAA will discount the registration fee for a first-time official.   This is ONLY for officials new to officiating with the NCHSAA (not new to a different sport than previously officiated). 

• You must first register before the NCHSAA can go into the system and waive the registration fee.
• When instructed to pay, “do not pay”.  Send an email to [email protected] stating you have completed the registration process up to the payment step.  Our office will update your account to reflect the discounted rate ($31 for insurance and background check).
• If you make a payment before the NCHSAA can waive the fee(s), you will NOT receive the discount nor a refund for the difference.
• Once complete, the NCHSAA will give a response email indicating the fee has been waived.  You will then go in and make payment to complete your registration.

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I already registered for a sport, but I would like to add a new sport. Do I need to pay the insurance fee again?

No. You only pay the insurance fee one time per year, no matter how many sports you choose to officiate.

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I have my own insurance, why do I have to pay the $21?

It is mandatory that you pay the insurance, regardless of your coverage. This is not only a $1 million liability coverage plan, but it also covers catastrophic injury up to $1 million. 

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I missed the deadline – can I still register?

No. Unfortunately, we rarely allow registrations after the deadline. This is to make sure that all officials have books, attend clinics and take exams prior to the start of the season.

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Can I register with two Regional Supervisors?

No, we only allow officials to use one Regional Supervisor per sport. Officials are independent contractors and may register with the Regional Supervisor/local officials’ association of their choice each year.

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Do I have to take the exam?

Yes. We require that the exam be taken every year.  You must register for an account at exams. nfhs.org, and take the exam at this site during the open testing window.  You must take the exam, and make 75% or above to continue officiating in our program for the sports season.

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Rulebooks are available through the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) contact at 1-800-776-3462 or order online at nfhs.com

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Where do I get my uniform?

Uniforms are available through the official NCHSAA vendor geaRef.  

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Officiating General Information

Am I eligible to work post-season?

Must meet all requirements for eligibility and score 80 + on the NFHS Exam.

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Appealing Examination Scores

When appealing an examination score you have 5 days from the test end date to appeal. When appealing an examination score you have 5 days from the test end date to appeal. When making an appeal you must list the specific questions with rule references and email the missed question to the Supervisor of Officials, Mark Dreibelbis. The appeal MUST BE IN EMAIL FORM. An appeal WILL NOT be accepted unless there is due cause to issue a grade change.

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Emergency Examination

There are no emergency examinations.  You must complete your online exam during the testing window provided by the NCHSAA office.  If you do not take the exam, or make less than a 75, you are ineligible to officiate varsity and jv games for the remainder of that sport season.

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Officiating Game Fees (Updated 1/1/23)

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Mark-Offs

Each Association is responsible for determining the criteria for a mark-off system. A mark-off system is optional NOT mandatory.

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Physical Examination

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors highly recommends that each official has a physical examination prior to the start of their regular sports season.

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Providing an escort

Schools must provide the officials with an escort to the dressing room in football, basketball and soccer.