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Football Officiating => Texas Topics => Topic started by: Joe Stack on September 26, 2015, 07:48:00 PM
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After getting a couple of game checks, I looked at the UIL sheet for confirmation. I have no information that would indicate what I was paid was incorrect, but the amounts were trivial for the amount of work and effort I and my crew put in. This has to change and the change has to start somewhere. So I'm opening up the discussion with this proposal.
Paying based on the gate is fine if there are sufficient numbers of people there. No one should make the same for a sold out crowd in Allen that they'd make for a small crowd at Moody. However, the guys at Moody worked as hard and probably had more challenges -- at least, in many situations. So, here's my scale (5 man crews):
Up to $500: $100 per official (no varsity game should pay less than a C note)
$500 -1000: $ 110
$1000-2500: $125
Up to each additional $2500: $50 per (i.e. 175 for up to 5k; 225 for up to 7.5K, etc.)
Currently a 20K gate pays the officials $125 (or 135). That's crazy. 600/20K = 3.3%. I know there are other costs of putting on a game, but how many here would like being in a business where one of your bigger costs is just 3.3% of your revenue? Sign me up.
I know all districts aren't like Allen and don't all have the revenue to build expensive stadiums. But they are buying loads of football equipment, new turf, paying high 5 figures or higher for head coaches. $325 per official (a total of $1625) on a 12.5K gate is more than reasonable. Still about an 85% gross margin.
If anyone posts "we aren't in this for the money," I'm going to find out who you are and make sure you're assigned the six man game of my choice every Saturday. Friday too.
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I am not in Texas, so please explain to me what is the justification to pay based on the gate. Seems to me that the size of the crowd has nothing to do with the job of officiating.
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The current scale is fine if the schools would actually pay correctly. Unfortunately few do
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The game fee questions of late are becoming a larger cause for concern if not thoughts of retirement. There are some 6 man schools who are taking a huge hickey not on the game fee but the travel. 5 men, 800 miles round trip, don't forget the meal fee and the $ 60 gate. This is playing holy **** with their budget, especially when the travel appeared a week before hand.
Now the "new". 1204 comes out, official drives 100 miles one way to meet the crew, rides 40 miles to the game, draws about 20 bucks, then goes home, that ain't gonna work, period. We have several officials that are college kids, some of us way past college, the constant cash outlay for dues, clinics, new shirts, new uniforms, and there are several times when you know the guys money situation is snug but still we want him to continue on. This just flat ain't right.
Maybe the big chapters can use it to weed out who they wish they didn't have, yet I don't see them jumping in the truck to drive out and help with the shortage. Play on saturday, play Thursday, shoot, don't play, it ain't our problem.
The engineer that thinks every man on the crew drawing "travel" check and a 10 dollar bump in the game fee, might have been doing his studies after a not so very good afternoon because this will not help one bit in retaining or getting officials.
I'll take the hit for saying I don't do it for the money, BUT, I aint doing it for nothing.
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A Tapps coach I am friends with asked me how much it would cost to have me call all of his sub varsity games. I said $75 a game $50 travel. He said no problem his kids pay 12K a year to go there and his parents expect officials. I have not done it this year because the chapter has been able to provide officials.
My point is maybe we are looking at this all wrong. Perhaps we need to look to the private schools to start the arms race for officials. They have a bit more control over their money.
I love Supply and Demand. The UIL does not control how much the ticket takers make, EMT, Coaches, Trainers, Dr's, or AD's it is all local control. So why is officiating fee not local control?
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I love Supply and Demand. The UIL does not control how much the ticket takers make, EMT, Coaches, Trainers, Dr's, or AD's it is all local control. So why is officiating fee not local control?
:thumbup
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Supply and demand would work until the schools get on the same page and only offer small amounts for the officials.
We need the minimal base amount to be a realistic number and TASO has to demand that from UIL
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It will only take a month of no games and the subsequent complaining from parents, before there is magically money in the coffers. I realize this may be unique to Metro areas but I can call Pee Wee's 4 nights a week for $60-75 a game within 30 minutes of my house. That is the Supply and Demand I am talking about. You want to low ball your school then congrats you can supply your own officials.
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On 9 September me and my crew approx. 120 round trip miles and worked a 3A varsity ball game. Last week we got a check for $70. The same day I got a game fee for $85 for 2 8th grade games.
Somethng aint right! pi1eOn
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Not sure how much falls on deaf ears with the UIL. When they look at what other state associations pay for varsity contest, we are at or near the top. Call a state championship game in another state and see if you get what the guys at Jerry World got last year. http://www.refstripes.com/forum/Smileys/classic/stirthepot.gif
check out this story about refs and look at paragraph 9
http://www.dailybulletin.com/sports/20150925/much-of-what-football-officials-accomplish-is-unseen-by-general-public