The Vanishing Official

Sports officiating is in something of a crisis right now. We simply don't have enough of us to cover all the games that are being played. This is especially true in baseball, but it is true and has been true for many years across all the major sports. I would first direct you to this article: The Vanishing Referee. (Note that the article was originally in the Daily Oklahoman and that the veteran referees quoted are guys I know and have worked with in both baseball and football.)

This hit home for me directly this week, as in two days I've been moved two times to accommodate our assigners' scheduling needs. Monday night I was scheduled to be at Southmoore High for two freshmen games, but instead I got moved to Norman High. This bummed me out because I had planned for an easy evening close to home (I only live 10 minutes from Southmoore), and ended up getting an extra 20 minutes tacked on to each side of the drive to the field. This put me behind as I had left my gear and clothes at the house so Heidi could get it through the laundry. Then yesterday I had a call to work from one of our assigners for today, but I already have some things scheduled, and he moved me from Newcastle to Del City for my Friday night games from him. He admitted that everyone is really short-handed these days, and that all the assigners are having to scramble to make sure all the slots are filled. Also, it affected me in a different way. Last night I was down at Lexington, Oklahoma for a varsity/JV doubleheader. Lexington would normally have handed me a check on the spot, but they did not receive the names of the umpires working (probably because the schedule was still in flux) and so they couldn't have the checks cut and ready. They will be mailing me a check in a few days.


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Getting into sports officiating is actually ridiculously easy, again, because we are in something of a shortage and we're always looking for new blood to move in as the veterans retire. It has become very attractive in the current economy, with people who are looking for extra money or even coverage money between jobs, because Americans love sports and those with jobs and money will continue to pay to watch sports and put their kids into sports, so the need for officials is still pretty high. There are plenty of games to be worked, more than the number of officials to work them; the sports-related economy is still strong and the demand is there, even with the economy in general being pretty weak.

Still, there are lots of reasons for why we are short of officials, in every sport. Let's talk about some of the reasons that I think exist for many folks. The amateur umpire ranks cover the area from 5-year-old t-ball through NCAA Division-I college, but I'm going to focus on junior-high-level school ball and above, because this is where a) the better money is, and b) the umpire shortages are most acute. The article mentions that sub-varsity games usually start earlier in the day, and that's true. But here's what it comes down to: ALL games in baseball start early in the day. Some games start as early as noon, especially during tournaments. This is true across all levels. Most games start in the 4:00-4:30 range, and that's the earliest I will take anywhere, myself, mostly because I prefer not to abuse the flexibility that my employer provides in allowing me to work these games. (I've had many offers for noon or 2:30 games, but I never take those.) If you add in the fact that many of these games are in places like Lexington (I embedded that map for a reason), meaning I have to drive 50 minutes from work to get there, and I should ideally be at the field at least 30 minutes prior to game time, and that means that for a 4:30 start time at Lexington, I have to leave work no later than 3:00pm. To make 8 hours, that means I have to be in at 7:00am and skip my lunch break. Most fields aren't as far as Lexington, but I've taken trips to Norman, Carl Albert, Midwest City, Del City...and all of those are 30 minutes from where I work. So I have to leave work an hour prior to any games at those locations. Fine for me, because I have it worked out with my manager, but lots of guys don't have that flexibility.

Why are the games so early, you might ask? Well, you're dealing with high-school kids who need some time to do homework. They could start games later in the day, but it's easier to round the kids up as soon as school is out (or slightly before, as part of last period or something) and get them out to the field (they have to travel, too), then get them warmed up and all that, rather than trying to get them home, then get them together at the field. Plus, homework is key to eligibility, so they MUST have time for finishing that school work, and sometimes the games go really late into the evening. Our two games last night went 2:45 for the varsity and 1:20 for the JV, with a 20-minute break for my partner and I to change. That's nearly four and a half hours from a 4:30 start time, meaning we weren't done until 9. Those kids still have to go home, eat, do homework, and go to bed to start it all again tomorrow. Baseball games don't usually have hard time limits like football or basketball games do, so games can go on a while. Even a game with a time limit can go over, because of inning rules. For example, let's say we have a 90-minute time limit on a game. The visiting team is up by two runs, and the home team goes down in the fourth with 5 minutes left before the time limit expires. Unless the coaches agree to call it (and they usually DON'T), we end up having to start the 5th inning and play out the full inning. If it's a sub-varsity game with...ahem, marginal pitching on both sides, that game can drag out another half hour or worse. So you can still play for two hours on a game with a hour-and-a-half time limit. So the schools like to start the games early because it's easier on the kids but maximizes their playing time.

Scheduling is even worse if you're trying to do college, because while there are lots of high schools close by, there aren't nearly as many colleges close by. So you travel a lot more, and drive further...all of which requires more time and more flexibility. Most guys I know who are doing college ball are quasi-amateur officials who are a) self-employed as their day job, b) do nothing but sports officiating and sports-related jobs that give them the flexibility they need, or c) are college guys themselves and can work it in their schedule more easily. It pays MUCH better than any high-school ball and you usually get a per-diem for travel expenses on longish trips, but most guys have a family and other things to deal with and just can't make it work (I am one of those guys).

So obviously, schedule flexibility can be a huge hindrance. But what about in the lower levels, youth-league ages, where scheduling isn't a big deal? Youth leagues usually start games about 6:00, so it's easy for anyone to get to those games, they usually have much shorter time limits, and while the pay isn't great, it's usually cash on the barrelhead as soon as your games are done. I believe there are many other issues involved...and some of them are psychologically twisted. I believe lots of guys don't do it, or quit, because they're tired of the abuse. You have to be pretty thick-skinned to do any officiating of any sport at any level. Aside from being a politician (a job I DEFINITELY don't want), being a sports official is the only other job where you are constantly second-guessed by everyone watching and where you are regularly yelled at (and occasionally threatened with physical violence) for perceived mistakes. And the abuse and complaints are worse in youth league ball than anywhere else. These issues can be very bad at any level; conference games, rivalries, and games between highly-ranked teams really ratchet up the tension and put everyone on edge, and any perceived slip is magnified 100 times. In school ball, all coaches are paid, meaning they're pros and (usually) know the written and unwritten rules of the game. Like how and when to argue a call with an umpire, or why I called that balk, or why I just ejected their player when he dropped a loud F-bomb after I rang him up on a close play at second base. They also realize that I am not going to change a call just because they argue it, that these calls are just the way the game breaks, and that the game is still ultimately in the hands of their players to win or lose.

But youth league games are their own beast. The games are pretty meaningless in themselves, but everyone involved is a parent. Youth league coaches are parents, and the fans are all just parents. The kids are young and usually not that good, anyway, because they're young. But the coaches and parents treat every game like the World Series and expect it to be called that way. They rarely know the rules, and they almost NEVER know how to deal with umpires properly. Many believe every umpire is out to screw them (I'm not kidding about that...some REALLY BELIEVE IT). In my now-almost-eight years of umpiring, all of my ejections have been in non-school-related youth league or tournament games; that should tell you something about how it all works out.

Worse, there are lots of fans who believe it is their God-given right to abuse the officials, and for whom it seems to be a bizarre, sadistic form of stress relief. These people would never deign to strap on the gear and wear the uniform and actually call a game behind the plate to see how difficult it is. But they will critique how you call your strike zone from 100 feet away and usually in a very mean-spirited tone. This isn't sour grapes, because it really is part of the job and you just have to learn to deal with it...but lots of folks just can't or won't. The unwillingness to deal with that abuse drives away lots of people who might otherwise be very good officials. I also think, though, there are lots of people who just don't want to be officials, regardless of how much they might make. Most people just aren't brave enough, and prefer the comfy seat of the fan, where they can criticize coaches, players, and umpires with absolutely no repercussions. And that's OK; to each his own.

The pay is OK, it still isn't enough to convince folks to deal with the above issues and make it work. I made about $21 per hour for my work last night, and that's nothing to sneeze at, but that's still not enough of an incentive for some folks. I don't see my wife and kids much on nights I work, and it does add a lot of things that I must get done and thus take up my time with, even after late games. Things like washing my uniform pants and shirts, cleaning my gear, dusting and shining my shoes, cleaning out my bag...all that has to be done regularly, obviously. I don't go pluck clean shirts off the umpire tree, you know. As I have said before, you also have to go buy that stuff to even get started, and it's not exactly cheap. The extra mileage you drive can be a problem; I have already driven over a 1000 miles this year both to do games and for other officiating-related activities like association meetings and training camps. Finally, some people just don't want a second job at all, and I can certainly understand that...it does get very tiring working games 10 out of 11 days, and doing all that extra driving.

So why do I do it? I do it first and foremost because we need the extra money. Heidi doesn't really have a full-time job right now, not a traditional one. Besides, we had such a long stretch of financial issues, that we've resolved to do what we have to, to get out of that hole and start building for our future. Officiating lets me provide more, doing something I can enjoy. I love sports, and it lets me stay closely involved in sports in a way that just being a fan or parent does not. I still have fun doing it, usually. I get paid to watch sports, from the best seat in the house, and it is nearly always interesting and challenging. Sure, sometimes I have a rough game or a stretch of rough games (I seem to be in something of a rough stretch right now, in fact, going back to last week.) But really, officiating is a hobby that pays. Not many can say they work a job where they can really have fun, stay active, and make decent money, but officiating is like that for me. Since we really need the extra income, I would much rather be doing this than flipping burgers or greeting people or stocking shelves at Wal-Mart. And I am very fortunate to have talents and abilities to do this sort of thing. This way, if I have to work my butt off to help my family get ahead in a rough economy, I don't go home at night after my second job ready to blow my brains out. Finally, officiating is fulfilling. You're helping kids learn these sports, you're helping them stay active and make friends and learn life skills. It's like the article says: if there aren't officials, these games are just recess.