Demand for high school sports officials in Florida tests associations

It’s not a job that garners a lot of recognition. 

In fact, it is said that if you do the job well, no one will remember you were there.

Dozens of high school sports officials are on fields and in gyms this school year alongside the players and coaches. They show up early and often stay late, not for the cheering crowds but simply for the love of the game.

“It’s the hobby of it,” said Dave Riedel, who is starting his 25th season as a football official. He was at Riverview High School before the season started with about 30 other officials, getting some preseason work during a scrimmage between the Rams and Manatee High. 

Five- and 7-man crews shuffled in and out during the scrimmage, “to work on positioning, and philosophy and whatnot,” said Dave Hall, the vice president of the Gulf Coast Football Officials Association, which supplies officials for most of the high school and middle school games in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

On any given Friday night, there are anywhere between eight and 10 football games for Hall’s officials to cover. Many games work with five-man crews, while some schools pay to have a seven-man crew on the field. 

“This year, we actually have one week where we have 11 games,” Hall said.

Not only are officials on the field, Hall also must provide clock operators for both the game clock and play clock. 

“So you know, if you have a 10-game night, you've got 70 guys who are out there,” Hall said.

Photo by Jim DeLa

Hall said so far, his association will have the area’s games covered. But, he said, the pool of officials might be thinning. 

“We've got older guys who are getting up there in years," he said. "I probably have another 10 years left before my body will not be able to take it.”

It’s a statewide problem in all sports, said Justin Harrison, the associate executive director of the Florida High School Athletic Association. 

While there are enough registered officials to cover games, “when you factor potential injuries, family commitment conflicts, work conflicts … a shortage is created,” he said.

“We have seen fewer associations in baseball over the last few years in the Panhandle. This has led to the remaining associations attempting to cover more schools, which thins out their numbers.”

In sports like lacrosse, “both girls and boys, the growth and interest in the sport with the student-athletes in Florida is outgrowing the interest of those wishing to officiate,” Harrison said. “Both are growing but just not at the same pace.”

Recruitment is key

Both Hall and Harrison are working to recruit the next generation of officials. 

After talking with coaches and athletic directors, Hall will be attending local schools’ end-of-year athletic banquets. 

“We'd love to come in, spend five minutes just talking with players, talking with parents, players that are graduating,” he said. “They might not be playing (anymore) but they still want to be involved in it.”

“I mean, if you can get to five or six schools and get one person out of that, that's a crew,” he said.

On a statewide level, the FHSAA has partnered with Ref Reps, an online training program that school districts can offer to their high school students, Harrison said.

"We also offer a registration discount for first-year officials to help encourage new people to try it out.”

Preparation and training

Being an official for any sport means study and preparation. Officials must attend clinics and pass tests on rules. In football, Hall said officiating crews study weekly game film provided by the high schools to improve their performance.

Hall said most officials wishing to do high school games and beyond start in youth leagues and work their way up. 

Photo by Jim DeLa

“You can't just go on a field on a Friday night and do it,” Hall said. “When I first started, I didn't see a Friday night game for probably four years, and then I wasn't on a regular crew.”

Hall said youth rec leagues are a great way for new officials to get experience. 

“There's plenty of youth ball leagues in this area," Hall said. "We have guys in our association who have connections with groups like that, so they can get games.”

At the recent scrimmage at Riverview High, Ron Varsalone was standing in the middle of the group of officials, watching and listening.

He recently relocated to Sarasota from New Jersey and wants to give it a shot. 

“I love the game. My kids are grown, my oldest is going to college next week, and I want to give back and stay involved in the game.”

Varsalone said there’s a lot to absorb. 

“It’s a little overwhelming," he said. "It’s a big difference from being a player on the field, as opposed to looking at it from an official’s perspective.”

But he’s been made to feel welcome and is encouraged going forward. “These guys have been great. I think I’m going to start out doing the clock and continue training to work toward getting on the field.” 

Photo by Jim DeLa

For veterans like Riedel, it’s a familiar story. He, too, got involved in the game when his sons played.

After they graduated, “it left a hole,” he recalled. 

Riedel said officiating helps him deal with his full-time day job. 

“It’s a good escape from work,” he said, because you have to focus. “Your full focus is on the game.”

Hall said, fans, parents and coaches are pretty well-behaved here, despite the occasional lapse in civility. 

“You have to have thick skin,” Hall said. “You probably have to have a little bit of a sense of humor because of some of the things that are said, whether right in your face or from a distance. I hear it all the time. I deal with the coaches, and they get intense and you know, you let them bark for a bit. But then you say, ’OK, coach, let's focus and get back to the game.’”

At the end of the day, the goals are the same. 

“We're all there for the kids, and that's what I try to preach to our officials and to the coaches,” Hall said. “I'm officiating the game as best as I can. And you know, we can agree to disagree on certain plays and certain outcomes of things, but at the end of the day, I will shake your hand.”

Anyone interested in learning more about officiating football can visit the local officials’ association website. 

To learn more about officiating other sports, visit the FSHAA website.