Got a very interesting e-mail this morning. If you’re an IFOA member, and subscribe to their “officials needed” distribution list, when ADs or assignors contact the IFOA looking for officials, an e-mail blast goes out. On this morning’s list was the following:
“9/13 Tipton @ Cass - will pay travel - 700pm EDT” (emphasis in original)
This is the first such announcement I’ve ever seen that makes any mention whatsoever of compensation as an inducement to the officials. And the IFOA has offered this service for many years.
As a consequence of the current shortage of officials, which is only going to get worse in the next several years, is this going to become more common? Is the day coming when schools will be soliciting officials, using game fees, travel pay, and amenities as inducements, and actually competing against one another for officials? Will we see a time when the best crews will be able to charge their price, rather than have the schools set game fees?
Right now there is a dispute going on between local officials and the schools over game fees in Florida. The officials have refused to work without a pay raise. As a result, the state association has stripped those officials of their eligibility to work any games in the state. The pre-season scrimmages which would be happening now have been canceled. It’s an ugly situation. Is it a harbinger of things to come?
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Bobref
Got a very interesting e-mail this morning. If you’re an IFOA member, and subscribe to their “officials needed” distribution list, when ADs or assignors contact the IFOA looking for officials, an e-mail blast goes out. On this morning’s list was the following:
“9/13 Tipton @ Cass - will pay travel - 700pm EDT” (emphasis in original)
This is the first such announcement I’ve ever seen that makes any mention whatsoever of compensation as an inducement to the officials. And the IFOA has offered this service for many years.
As a consequence of the current shortage of officials, which is only going to get worse in the next several years, is this going to become more common? Is the day coming when schools will be soliciting officials, using game fees, travel pay, and amenities as inducements, and actually competing against one another for officials? Will we see a time when the best crews will be able to charge their price, rather than have the schools set game fees?
Right now there is a dispute going on between local officials and the schools over game fees in Florida. The officials have refused to work without a pay raise. As a result, the state association has stripped those officials of their eligibility to work any games in the state. The pre-season scrimmages which would be happening now have been canceled. It’s an ugly situation. Is it a harbinger of things to come?
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