Lack of refs could shutter some high school sports

High school sports could soon face a problem as students may be unable to compete because of a lack of referees available to officiate games.

The shortage of referees is nothing new to this upcoming school year and sports season, as the problem has been growing for some time.

A survey from the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2022 found that approximately 50,000 people have stopped officiating since the 2018-19 season, the last year unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the decline can be traced back for more than just the last five years, as athletic directors are sharing that sports officials have been in decline for at least 20 years.

Nick Leday, an athletic director in Louisiana, shared with KPLC-TV that it seems “no one wants to do it,” but the job still needs to be done for students to participate.

On top of the shortage already, Leday shared that the situation could get drastically worse as more officials age out.

“Sixty percent of the officials throughout the whole state of Louisiana in all sports are over the age of 50. So we have to come up with some way to replace those men and women when they go on to retire,” Leday said.

A 2023 survey from the National Association of Sports Officials backed up Leday’s age concerns. The survey included responses from 35,813 sports officials from all 50 states, with more than 92% of them officiating at a varsity level.

The average age of those surveyed was 56.68 years old.

The survey also asked officials about the current shortage, asking respondents, “Have you taken more officiating assignments due to the shortage of officials?” with 79% responding, “yes.”

While the shortage has opened up opportunities for more officiating, 42% said they were grateful for the extra reps, 37% said they felt pressured to accept more games, and 14% said they were burnt out.

With the school year right around the corner and many high school football seasons and other fall sports already starting, school districts are continuing to fight to retain and find new officials so that students don’t suffer the shortcomings.

“We’re talking long term in the future, and the way the number has been going over the past 10-15 years, it has been declining, and if we don’t get the next generation of officials, then yes, you’ll definitely see the effects of it,” Leday said.