Coach is a jerk, and the season hasn't even started yet!

[Corndog89]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Three Rivers Youth League...we got a raise this year for these games, $30 each and you get paid on game night, either check or ca$h.

$30 per game for youth rec league?? Wow! My brother-in-law told me Oregon was great, but I had no idea just how much

[Nevadaref]

That's not the fee that every official gets. It's just a special rate for Mark.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Corndog89

$30 per game for youth rec league?? Wow! My brother-in-law told me Oregon was great, but I had no idea just how much

That's per game if we do a two game shift. If we are scheduled for a single game, we get $32.50. This is probably the most competitive middle school league in the state. Actually, they go from 5th through 8th.

My local kids rec league, which is purely rec, pays $23.00 per game for refs with at least 4 years experience for grades 3-8 and $25.00 for HS level games. If you wind up working alone (it happens rarely, but sometimes) you get 1 1/2 times your regular rate. Last year, I had one night in which I worked two HS games by myself. I made $75.00 for the two and it took about two hours. This league pays at the end of the month.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Corndog89

$30 per game for youth rec league?? Wow! My brother-in-law told me Oregon was great, but I had no idea just how much

How about the Catholic school league that I officiate in?

Varsity games (7th and 8th graders):
Fees: $52 single; double $80; 3 games $104; 4 games $128
Payment at site
Periods are 7 minutes. Halftimes 8 minutes
Single ref fee 1.5 Times
Games starting late: after 10 minutes late $10.00 additional fee, 20 minutes late additional $15.00 fee. Games can be forfeited after 30 minutes late.
Schools agree not to solicit and officials agree not to participate in any raffle, contest, drawing, booster club or any other fund-raiser.

Junior Varsity (5th and 6th graders)
Fees: $30 per game (usually scheduled as a doubleheader, or tripleheader)
Payment at end of season
Periods are 6 minutes. Halftimes are no more than 8 minutes
Single ref fee 1.5 Times
Schools agree not to solicit and officials agree not to participate in any raffle, contest, drawing, booster club or any other fund-raiser.

These are real scholastic games. Cheerleaders, packed gyms, refreshment stands, same coaches year to year, etc. Coaches have to answer to the school's athletic director, and principal. I haven't given a technical foul in years. I really can't remember the last time. Most sites provide free refreshments for officials, water, soda, sports drink, pizza, hot dogs, hot pretzels, fried dough, etc.

The assigner takes his job very seriously. He was our interim high school board assigner for a year. We provide availability sheets, and contact information to him after we get our high school schedules, which we can update during the season. He realizes that our high school board games take a priority over his games, he's still an active member of our high school board, doesn't officiate, but is active on a few training and business committees. We get our assignments, usually for the entire season, except for last minute changes, and playoffs, by email, and must confirm by email. We pay no fees to the assigner. He gets a fee directly from the league, and gets to work as many games as he wants to. We have a mandatory new rules meeting, IAABO Refresher Exam study session, and league rules meeting at the beginning of every season.

This league, which includes about twelve teams, each of which has a varsity team (some have "A" and "B" teams), a junior varsity A-league team (some have "A" and "B" teams), and a junior varsity B-league team (3rd and 4th graders, one official games), for both boys, and girls. Varsity games are normally played on weeknights, not on Tuesdays, or Fridays, our busy high school nights, here in Connecticut. Junior varsity games are normally played on Saturday mornings, and Sunday afternoons. Farthest site for me is thirty-five minutes away. Most sites are about ten or fifteen minutes away.

All games are officiated by certified board officials. There are about forty of us working this Catholic school league. We have a few officials who are only on our local high school IAABO board to retain their certification. They don't accept any high school assignments, and don't come to any of our board meetings, they just show up at the annual board banquet, which accounts for about $45.00 of our $115.00 local IAABO high school board annual dues.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

How about the Catholic school league that I officiate in?

Varsity games (7th and 8th graders):
Fees: $52 single; double $80; 3 games $104; 4 games $128
Payment at site
Periods are 7 minutes. Halftimes 8 minutes
Single ref fee 1.5 Times
Games starting late: after 10 minutes late $10.00 additional fee, 20 minutes late additional $15.00 fee.

Must be a rich group of schools. The leagues I work are independent, not school related. There's a lot of parent volunteer work involved. The competitive leagues charge an admission, the strictly rec ones don't. Those are entirely funded by registration fees so the kid's parents fund the entire league's expenses, including gym rental, jerseys, insurance, website maintenance, referee fees and equipment.

However, I think the coaches (who are all volunteers) pay for foul insurance out of their own pockets.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Must be a rich group of schools.

It's almost like we're stealing money.

I don't know how our assigner gets such a good contract? We do officiate these games, with the exception of switching on every foul, like we officiate our high school games. I've never had a partner not show up. And almost all of us are high school varsity officials.

These schools all charge admission, all have very busy refreshment stands, and there's usually a 50/50 raffle at every game.

Does any other Forum member get such great fees for "youth" level games?

[Corndog89]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

It's almost like we're stealing money.

I don't know how our assigner gets such a good contract? We do officiate these games, with the exception of switching on every foul, like we officiate our high school games. I've never had a partner not show up. And almost all of us are high school varsity officials.

These schools all charge admission, all have very busy refreshment stands, and there's usually a 50/50 raffle at every game.

Does any other Forum member get such great fees for "youth" level games?

Billy Mac

I'm not sure which is the best part: the fees, the organization, or rec partners who not only show up but actually officiate like they're supposed to. And no, in 3 states, I've never had the good fortune to work any rec league that remotely approaches yours or Mark's.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Corndog89

Billy Mac: I'm not sure which is the best part: the fees, the organization, or rec partners who not only show up but actually officiate like they're supposed to. And no, in 3 states, I've never had the good fortune to work any rec league that remotely approaches yours or Mark's.

We just had our annual meeting today. We service 13 schools, that field 83 different teams, boys, and girls, at three different levels. Our assigner tried to sign a contract with a few schools in another deanery, but they balked at our fees. I can understand that, but they don't know what they're missing. We added a new deanery to our contract this past year. Every coach, and athletic director, in that deanery gave us 100% positive feedback, well officiated games, officials on time, dressed professionally, consistent "wiggle room" with the younger players, fewer technical fouls, etc. They thought that they made the right decision, and that you get what you pay for.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Our assigner tried to sign a contract with a few schools in another deanery

OK, I'll bite. What the H-E-double hockey sticks is a deanery? Is it like a creamery, but run by Dean Martin?

[BayStateRef]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Does any other Forum member get such great fees for "youth" level games?

The youth travel leagues I work pay $40/game. Most games are Sunday. I usually do three games: $120 in cash, paid at the gym by the visiting coach. HS rules and time limits, with most games done in about 1:10.