Just thought I would share this post from an Illinois Official. (April 24, 2021)

[snrmike]

I copied the original post verbatim from Facebook.  Remember this tonight while watching your favorite teams compete.  Everyone who officiates understands the challenges we are now facing.  The refs are getting older and our numbers are declining.  Please be considerate to EVERYONE on the field EVERY night.

From: David M. Howard

Ap24  · 

Think about this for a second. After 27 years as a football Official and 37 years total in Officiating, Basketball, Football and Swimming.

Almost everyone I know In Officiating has walked away!!

Many different reasons but after Yesterday's game my current Crew is no longer together!!

There are lots of reasons but the main one is abuse by Coaches and Fans!!

Who In Thier right mind gives up thier Friday Nights with thier Families and drive sometimes 200 miles round trip for $70? Nobody except those of us who are willing to try and help young people have games with Officials!!

So my typical Friday night consists of traveling an hour or more to a game, sometimes less, but normally around an hour on Friday night. Leaving the house no later than 4:45 to be sure to be at the game sight at least an hour before the game, to get dressed and go over anything the crew needs to work on from previous weeks. Game kicks off at 7:00 and normally last until 9-9:30 depending on how fast or slow the offenses work. Back to the locker room around 9:30 get dressed and go home usually arriving around 11 and sometimes, like a couple weeks ago 1:30 A.M. because of rain delay and distance to the game.

So we spend anywhere from 5 and a half to 10 hours gone from home for that $70!. You do the math it is not a good paying gig!!!

Yet we are yelled at, screamed at and berated because we want your kids to have the best possible night but some don't care enough to look into what it takes to do the Official's job on the field!!

So any volunteers to do this job? If there is please Contact the IHSA (Illinois) and get your license because after last night there will only be 3 Football officials in Clark County, and 0, None, in Crawford County. And this is the trend.

I know this is a long post but had to be said!!

You want your kids to be able to play Sports? Then get a license and Officiate, otherwise be quiet and walk away because there will be no games without Officials!!

[Bobref]

I have heard this same refrain from officials for at least the last 20 years, but there is absolutely no doubt that the grief officials take is contributing significantly to the shortage - and it’s getting worse. You might think that young people today are “soft,” or that officials shouldn’t have ”rabbit ears.” Be that as it may, the fact is that something has to be done or we are going to reach “critical mass” in a few short years, and you are going to see schools paying a lot more $$ for officials, just to entice people to become officials, and/or you are going to be seeing Thursday and Saturday games in abundance. You only have to look at some of the comments you see here on the GID and know that is multiplied tenfold on Friday nights, from the stands, from the sidelines, and from social media. People, criticism is expected. But the vitriol you hear is worse than ever.