Question about Summer tournament game fees.

[CecilOne]

A frequently ignored fact about sports officiating is that what the official does during a game is only part of the responsibility and effort. Even though it is the most visible part, it is far from being all that is needed. The time commitment, training, meetings, clinics, uniforms, equipment, study, tests, planning, communication, and travel are substantial in themselves and are essential to good officiating.

Two kinds of situations are constant reminders of how this is ignored:

One is the view and complaint of non-officials that we only care about the money and are always trying to shorten the game, even when we suspend a game for the players' safety or use speed-up rules at the leagues' direction.

Another is the practice by schools and others to refuse to pay the fee for a game when it was their mistake that led to officials being present but no game, or the officials appearing at the wrong time or place. If someone cancels a game or moves it to another site without telling the officials, the officials usually appear, spend time trying to find out what happened, travel extra distance, etc. Because this, along with our preparations, fulfills the agreed to responsibility to be at a site ready to officiate at the specified time; the game management must compensate the officials.

It's the principal and the recognition of what really goes into officiating that matters, as we all can survive without a few fees. Year after year, officials are disrespectfully cheated out of fair compensation for fulfilling these implied contracts; which in turn reduces their incentive to officiate well.

We are having a problem with HS games when we are already there and the game is cancelled (not started). I think any time we are even on the way, some compensation is needed.