State tournament games use crews of three. Some of us have more experience with it than others because of ASA and other leagues. We all have to use the last couple weeks of the regular season to get on the same page after not working it all year. Some schools let us add a third umpire for their games and we have a clinic to go over it. Fortunately we have lots of members who are good instructors.

I just worked an IHSA varsity game for $40.00. I won't be returning to that school any time soon.

If were in Montana instead of Utah my check tomorrow would be $242.50 for my V/JV double header, but it will be only $151.38...

Central Virginia Softball Fees
 

In Virginia, each local association negotiates with the various districts for one, two, or three-year 'contracts'. For state playoffs, the VHSL pays $75 for each umpire in the 3-person crew plus $.50/mile for the driver.

For regular seaon in Central Virginia, we get $70/ump for varsity, $60 for JV, and $65 for middle school (all 2-person crews). No travel fee is paid for 'local' schools, but we get $30 or $40 per game travel for schools 30-75 miles away. We offer a 3-person crew to schools for their marquee games for $150, which gives our guys some practice working 3-person before the start of playoffs while keeping the cost to the schools reasonable.

FYI, Central Virginia fees will increase by $5/umpire in 2013 across the board.

South Carolina is on the low end... a recent NFHS tournament paid < $40 per game with no travel.

At non-tournament games we usually have to fill out our paperwork at with the person selling tickets. I had a upstate pay off game about 5 years ago where the paperwork included a listing of what everyone was being paid. The person selling tickets was making more than the umpires.

That makes sense... he was a profit center! ;)

On Long Island, as stated earlier, it is negotiated by the county organizations and the schools.

We get: $115 varsity, $96 JV, 78.50 JH (modified). These are for two man games, as most games are two man. If you do a game alone, you get a fee and a half, i.e. $96 + $43 = $139 JV alone. (very rare to do a varsity game alone, but common to do a JV or JH game solo.)


Plus, if a game is cancelled within 2 hours of game time and you are not notified, you get full fee.

You guys get more to do a single, two man JV game than I get to do a varsity double header.

Wow - you guys need help down there??

Alabama
 

We get $30 for Middle School, $32 for JV and $37 for Varsity.

We also get travel for both umpires - anywhere from $5 to $20 per game (only one charge for DH).

These are the SCHSL mandated fees

That's what we normally get. For this one I got 100 for a plate and 2 bases, I guess I got ripped. I since learned that the NFHS tournament put on by one of the local high schools paid $30 per game (plate or bases) with $10 travel, no matter where you came from.

Id REALLY would like to hear the reason for not only ridiculously low fees, but the plate/base differential. That plate/differential has always baffled me, do they EXPECT the base ump to work less? Or is it they ASSUME the base umpire has less to do - ESPECIALLY in softball.

I might would query the SCHSL if that was a sanctioned event and if so, why were not the mandated fees paid.

I guess because the base umpires equipment is cheaper?

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.