re: What percentage of HS football refs are paid off

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Its gotta be like 35-40 at the lowest. I'm Watching a game tonight and its just obvious what's going on

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I've been officiating in the panhandle for 8 yrs, we are now making $125 on the field, R gets $135, and ECO's get $85. We have one run the game clock and the other does the play clock.

As mentioned above the vast majority of officials officiate because we love the game and enjoy the guys we do it with. If you were to break down the amount of time spent on Friday night from the moment I get in my truck to arrive for pre-game at the field (usually hour and half to hour and forty-five before kickoff) and the time I step back into my house the money isn't worth it. We now are doing Varsity games on Thursday and Friday nights, occasionally Monday nights due to not enough officials. Sub-varsity games and middle school games we are even going to 4 man crews to cover games.

Majority of coaches know we are a necessary evil, but the fans who don't know the rules and treat officials poorly are jeopardizing the games future. Someone sitting in the stands that is considering officiating and hears the stuff spewed at officials most likely reconsider. I even occasionally ask myself, "Do I want to continue to give up my Friday nights through Thanksgiving and not spend time with my family?". It is only going to get worse, majority of associations that I've seen in Florida have officials who have and average age of 55 and above.