You get paid the same for 2 vs 3?

Yep, although there are very few 3-man games around here. There are two conferences with all Class 4 or 5 schools (Biggest classes), and one of them mandates 3-man for all JV/V nights in either girls or boys. The other was doing this for several years but has decided to make it optional now, so only a few do it for all games, and some only do it for "big" games.

Sometimes three of us will get assigned to a 9th/JV/V night or a BJV/BV/GV tripleheader at a small school. Usually we split it up and all work two games, but sometimes guys will work 3-man all night and split the game fees up three ways. You make less but it makes for an easier night.

I would love it if we got paid a bit more to work 2-man varsity games (Maybe $60 or so) and kept the 3-man rate at $55.

I am for 3-man as much as anyone, but it is not needed for some levels of varsity around here. Most Class 1 and 2 games here do not need three officials. I'll let you figure out why.

I don't know of anyone working two person for varsity games in Iowa. In addition to the MAC in the Quad Cities, I work a lot of games in smaller 1A and 2A conferences and it's always three person and you do a doubleheader, usually boy/girl varsity. The pay disparity is huge though; you get $75 for a single varsity game in the MAC (4A conference), but generally only $75 or $80 to do two games at the smaller schools, plus mileage for one driver. I sometimes wonder why I"m making a three hour round trip for that much money some nights when I could work one soph game at one of the big 4A schools 5 or 10 minutes from my house for $55 and be home by 7:30. I don't do it primarily for the money, but getting home at 11:00 or 12:00 on a work night for an extra $20 doesn't always feel like it's worth it. Ego I guess, or pure insanity.

I'm not sure your math is right and I think you should divide those totals by 2....a team only plays half their games at home (you mention that but don't seem to use it in your math). A different team would be covering the other 11 games. (Or each team is covering half of the total each night).

Or are you saying a referee gets $110 per game? Or is that for a JV/V double header where the JV would get the same crew?

In Oregon, the rate comes out to about $60-$65 for most games (once mileage is included) for 2-person. That would be $120-$130 per game per crew. For about 11 games per gender, that is $2860. That would lead to an increase of $1430 per school to add a 3rd official for ALL varsity games for each season (if you still payed each official at the same rate...which is rarely the case in places that use a 3rd).

Could be 11 boys' + 11 girls' games = 22 games. ;)

Assuming you'd work 3-whistle for $55 per game, they're saving a whopping total of $35 per game, or $770 per year per school (assuming 22 varsity home games per school).

When the switch to three whistles was being discussed in my area many years ago, one administrator said " I am all for three whistles at the game...and after the game the coaches can vote on which two of the officials get paid."

What amazes me is that states want 3 whistles in the playoffs but schools do not realize the huge differences in coverage areas and quality. To go from 2 to 3 in a DH often means I miss some areas early in the second game. Maybe they should play with 4 players during the regular season and then use five in the playoffs.

Connecticut ...
 

Agree. And don't forget challenging.

That's my personnel opinion regarding how I like to work. That being said, the modern high school game is much better officiated by three officials. That's why, here in Connecticut, we go to three person crews from the state quarterfinals, on up; for many league, or conference finals; and for a few "big city" rivalry games.

As many of you know from my postings, the Land of Steady Habits, is, pretty much, exceptions above, the Land of the Two Person Game. Even if school superintendents, principals, athletic directors, and coaches, wanted to go to three person games, and had the money available, we wouldn't have enough officials to work said games. As it is, we have trouble covering busy Friday night schedules with two person crews, especially when we have more than just a few officials unavailable due to injury, or illness.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1171/...26aa3009_m.jpg

Things are getting so bad around here, along with paying taxes and theh obligatory fund raisers, some school districts are now charging $50 for the privilege of having your kid play sports and THEN don't forget to pay your admission fee to get in to watch them in the game.......

@ $110 per game? I think he double counted them....either in number of games or in the dollar amount.,

That's cheap.

How Much To Join The Chess Club ???
 

Here in The Constitution State, we call it, "Pay and Play".

Same in my state.

Do the letters F. O. mean anything to you?
 

I'm about 100% sure I can referee circles around you.