Money issues

[jaym72]

How do most places around the country get paid? Does the individual schools pay the officials or does their local association pay the officials? I prefere to get paid at the site with a check. What are the association dues around the country? I heard some places have fees as low as $30 and as high as $100. I was in an association that we paid $75 and that covered association dues, rule books, and liability insurance. Also, are there any areas that have associations that take a percentage out of your check that you receive? I think it is too steep if you pay almost $100 in registration fees and still have the local association take almost another $100 out of each check every month that goes to the association. And what about youth sports and out of season tournaments and leagues, do most of them pay cash on the spot for those games?

[Raymond]

Do a search on "game fees", there are a few threads to look at.

[euby]

My local association fee is $35 a year and another $55 a year to renew with ihsaa. (Indiana) The association doesn't collect anymore than that.

We get paid with a check by the school when we show up for the game and usually is $45 a game for 7th thru freshman and $58 for JV or Varsity games.

We all get 44 cents a mile tax deduction for travel at IRS time so don't forget to deduct that.

Our in-house league pays $22 a game and usually includes 5 to 8 games in one day. We pay $30 dollars a game for AAU and is usually 6 games in one day. Both in-house and AAU we pay cash collected at the door.

I have games assigned thru my association and I pay a third party assignor $10 a year for 6 to 8 games.

[Texas Aggie]

This comes up quarterly, at least, in either or both the football and basketball forum. A complete answer can probably be gained by looking at past threads. With that in mind, I'll give you an idea of what Texas does (at least, for the most part):

We pay association dues which are roughly a 60/40 split between local association and state association. A lot of associations waive local association dues for first year officials. After that, dues are currently between $110 and $130 a year (both state and local; this is basketball and football) for renewal next year. That includes books. There are no assignment fees or anything else due. You just have to buy your gear and show up for games. Texas officials are paid by the school district, usually by way of a check in the mail (I have only been stiffed a couple of times in many hundreds of assignments) anywhere from a week to a month after the game. Milage is added by some, but not all districts.

Some folks have contracted with districts and private schools for sub varsity assignments, and will send officials out there for the same 'check in the mail' but as an assigner will also bill the school on either a flat rate or per game fee. Still, no one I've ever heard of around here charges an assignment fee, but apparantly, its common in other areas.

[Camron Rust]

Basically, it comes down to the fact that Assignors are not doing it for free. Either the schools pay them, the officials pay them, or a split from both.

I'd bet that those areas that don't take a percentage out of the official's checks have assignors getting a larger average payment from the schools and the schools paying a slightly smaller game fee for the officials.

In the end they all probably come out the same.

[refhoops]

Our association dues are $ 105 which includes all education material and NASO memberships, which assures out Board that all members have the minimum liability insurance. We are paid monthly by our assignor, with no mileage, but farthest distance for any game is less than 60 miles, most are with 20 miles.

[Zack]

So is WA the odd one out? We pay about $30 a year to the associ. and $30-40 to the state.

We have an assignor that assigns us through a web based system for all games. We don't deal at all with the school or anything like that. We get paid a month or two after the season ends. I don't know how much I would like having to work for a school it almost sounds like?

[BayStateRef]

Massachusetts:

For high school, we get paid by check from the school, after filling out a voucher at the game site. Checks arrive one to five weeks after the game. I got one fee last year in cash ("Is that OK, ref?") and one school paid by check at the gym. For youth travel or AAU, it is cash at the gym.

There are no assignor fees. Varsity pays $70/game this year; JV and freshmen are $48/game. Youth travel is $40/game (two whistle) for 16-minute halves, stopped time, and AAU is usually $35.

My annual dues are $75. That's it. Covers state & national (IAABO) dues, medical/liability insurance, books and one meal at the annual banquet. My board is also very generous with camp scholarships (usually fully paid) and this year ran a free mini-camp (one day) focusing on 3-person mechanics (which are now being used only for state tournament games.) Our treasurer says we have the lowest dues in Massachusetts.

[Ignats75]

State OHSAA Fee is $55.00
Local Assoc Fee is anywhere from $30 - $60
No Assignor Fees

Each Conference has its own assignor. (Most use The Arbiter)
Independent Schools sometimes have an assignor, and sometimes the AD does it.

About half the schools have the checks waiting for you at the site.

Fees are set by the conferences
Varsity (all 3 person mech Boys and Girls) are between $50-$70
JV (2 person mech) $35-$45
Frosh $25 - $30

[ChuckElias]

My comments aren't critical, but I thought I would comment on a couple minor things in your post, just in case you were interested. If you're not interested, I won't be offended.

Originally Posted by BayStateRef

Massachusetts:

My annual dues are $75. That's it. Covers state & national (IAABO) dues, medical/liability insurance, books and one meal at the annual banquet.

My board's dues are $100. That covers roughly the same as what you've listed. We also pay for the board interpreter and secretary to travel to the Fall IAABO meeting; and for the secretary and president to travel to the Spring IAABO meeting. So that adds a bit of expense.

3-person mechanics (which are now being used only for state tournament games.)

If you'd said "primarily", I wouldn't have a problem with it. But the fact is, 3-whistle is in use during the regular season in varying degrees all across the state. I've been told that there is a conference in Boston that is primarily 3-whistle all season. The Berkshire board has been working 3-whistle for a couple seasons now, at a reduced rate that they negotiated with their schools. The Hampden board has been using 3-whistle for 2 years on a limited basis in their Division 1 games.

Additionally, the MIAA has approved a 3-whistle fee for the upcoming regular season. I can't remember at the moment if it is 80% or 85% of the 2-whistle fee. But it will be either $58 (80%) or $62 (85%). That doesn't mean that schools have to use 3-whistle; but if they do use it, they don't have to haggle with the local board over the fee. The state board of officials voted to oppose a reduced fee for 3-whistle, but personally, I think it's a good idea if we ever actually want it to become accepted.

[LongIslandZebra]

Here in NY, we pay $90 a year for dues. Game fees for public schools are paid in one lump sum at the end of the season. Fees range for $ 82- 106 from JH through Varsity. If you work for private schools they each pay by check shortly after the contest. Rec leagues are mostly cash, some bi-weekly check and range from $ 40-60 for leagues through HS age level.

[BayStateRef]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

Varsity is actually going to be $73 this year. Last year was $72 and we were supposed to get a $2 boost, but the MIAA decided to change their recommendation and only bump it a buck.

I think you are mistaken, Chuck.

From the MIAA handbook (Page 93): http://miaa.net/bluebook.htm

91. Recommended Game Officials’ Fee Schedule
                  2006-07    2007-08
Varsity              $70       $71
JV/Freshman       $49       $50

Last year was $68/game for varsity.

You are correct about three-whistle. The MIAA voted to pay 85 percent of the fee if a school elects to use three officials. (None of the schools that I work want to pay the extra money.)

The fees I mentioned for youth travel and AAU are typical in the Boston suburbs. I should have been more clear.

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by BayStateRef

I think you are mistaken, Chuck.

From the MIAA handbook (Page 93): http://miaa.net/bluebook.htm

91. Recommended Game Officials’ Fee Schedule
__________2006-07 ____2007-08
Varsity______$70________$71
JV/Fr_______$49________$50

Last year was $68/game for varsity.

Sorry! I guess I got a year ahead of myself. I thought last year was the $70 fee. Shows how much I pay attention to my game checks!

I went back and removed the incorrect fee information I posted. Thanks for the correction.

[PIAA REF]

Pennsylvania Dues are 25 to the Chapter and 30 to the state.

Game dues are as follows (This is only in my district, other PA districts may vary)
Varsity 3-man- 55 per official
JV 2 man- 40 per official
9th 2 man- 30 per
Junior high- 30 1 game, 53 double header

[Rusty Gilbert]

Here in Shreveport, Louisiana, my annual dues of $40 covered books, test, etc. The schools pay (and actually choose) the assignment secretary.

Varsity games are paid a state-determined (see http://www.lhsaa.org/sports/basketba...allby-laws.pdf) flat fee according to the number of games an official works that day PLUS a single patch fee ($0 for "registered officials", $2 for a "approved officials" or $6 for a "certified officials") for the day.

1 game only: $24.50 - $27 (amount depends upon classification)
2 games (a doubleheader): total of $36 for both games
3 games (a tripleheader): total of $54 for all three games

The fee is the same whether a 2-person or 3-person crew is utilized. The school also pays a single 60 cents per mile one-way mileage, which is usually split among the crew.

The typical assignment is for a Louisiana official to work a doubleheader (a varsity girl game and a varsity boys game) and, if the official is "certified," the official will get $42 for the night plus a share of mileage. Most of the time the game fee is given to the official at the game.

In our association, all games are officiated with 3-person crews. I do NOT believe that most of the other Louisiana assiciations use 3-person crews exclusively.

Fees for tournament games and all sub-varsity games are negotiated directly between the officials' association and the schools.

Tournament fees in our area (not just by our association) generally range from $20-$30 per official per game (2 or 3 person crews) with no mileage.

For freshmen and JV games, we charge $25 for one game, $40 for two, with a little mileage if the school is "out of town." I'm not sure what the junior high fee is.