First Louisiana now Mississippi
 

Mississippi basketball officials are now threatening to strike on the eve of competition after receiving two $5 raises over the last decade.

High school basketball practice began today but will the referee - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

Obligatory "what happened to doing it for the kids?" response.

Now that's out the way.

Interesting to see if the Louisiana officials will cross over after what they've been through. Were Biloxi officials coming over to Louisiana during their dispute?

I wouldn't dare cross that line in an official's strike.

$40/game for varsity?! That's INSANE!

They should absolutely strike. Even the fees listed (which may be inaccurate) for Alabama and Louisiana are criminally low.

I didn't get the impression they were, but are these 3-person games at least?! Some of the videos showed three officials, but the president was talking about a goal of $110 total for two officials.

I'm with you, Mississippi!

The way I read it is they work 2 games a night and not 2 refs per game. They make $40/game or $80 with a goal of $55/110.

Here in South Carolina, a 3-man crew makes $78 apiece plus mileage for a varsity doubleheader (which is typical) and $55 apiece plus mileage for a single varsity game. Just for comparison.

Why should a second game pay less than a first game? $23 for a varsity game?

We assign DH in various sports here -- not often basketball. But when someone works 2 baseball or 2 softball games, the fee is twice the single game fee. Why wouldn't it be?

I agree -- when "mileage" is paid separately. When mileage is included in the game fee, though, then I can see a (small -- not $32 on the $55 base) reduction in the second game.

And, the pay rate in SC only matters to those who are in or willing to go to SC -- it has not effect on the rates in LA or MS.

We don't pay mileage in the conference I assign. So, technically, I guess it's "included."

We still pay $X for a game and $2X for 2 games.

I didn't say it made sense. ;)

Here mileage is only paid when the official travels a minimum of 51 miles round trip according to the following scale:
51-75 Miles:$13
76-125 Miles:$19
126-175 Miles:$31
176-250 Miles:$43
251-350 Miles:$55
351-450 Miles:$73

Crews are paid $69 a person for 3 person and $73 for 2 person per game

*Regular season mileage is calculated from the home address of the official unless they live outside the assignment area.If they live outside the assignment area their mileage calculation begins at the point where they enter the assignment area.

*Playoff mileage is calculated from the meeting place of the association and only payable to the lead official in every sport.

That seems like a very typical way to pay officials at least here. They pay double headers a set fee and it does not match the pay for each individual game if assigned without it being a double header. It is certainly not right and I will not work many of them for this reasoning, but it will take more than a couple of people to make sure that changes. Schools half the time cry poor, which in our state they are.

Peace

In Texas we are at $55 per Varsity game plus mileage. 2 or 3 man is irrelevant since we are busting our butts to hustle and get plays right either way, but I digress. Also, we are supposed to get a well deserved pay increase for 2016. :)

I think it is pretty easy to argue there is a basis for *some* differential -- comp for a game essentially includes time to get ready -- making sure the uniform and gear is ready, getting dressed, stretched, in the mind set, travel time (not just the mileage) and so forth. Much more efficient economically to do a double header than to do games on two separate nights. (I'm not *remotely* arguing that a double-header paying only 141% of a single game (55 vs 78) makes sense, only that there is some logic to getting paid more if having to make the effort for a single game -- and it sure sounds better to think about it as extra for doing only one game instead of less for the second game of a double header.) What "some" *is* reasonable I won't attempt to define.

If only I had that option. Almost all of our game assignments in SC are doubleheaders, girls then boys. Just the way it's always been done. As eluded to, it's just more economic from the schools' perspective. Also, if the girls played on their own night, no fans would come. Seriously.

I would love to see the day where I have the option of not working girls basketball. Unfortunately, that won't happen anytime soon.