COLUMBUS, Ohio —Friday night lights may need to see more men and women in stripes, as many school districts and soccer clubs in Ohio are struggling to find officials.
- The OHSAA says one of the main reasons for the shortage is verbal abuse towards referees
- Soccer is the sport struggling the most right now, while sports like lacrosse and volleyball could also use some help
- One Toledo soccer club says the issue has created a scheduling conflict on a weekly basis
“It’s interesting, I probably have heard more harsh things in this job from people because e-mail is so easy to say things, then it is, you know, actually live,” said Beau Rugg, OHSAA director of officiating.
Beau Rugg says verbal abuse is a big factor in the shortage.
With decades of refereeing experience, and now as director of athletics for the Ohio High School Athletics Association, he knows the feeling many officials go through,
He says the state saw a steady decline in officials for about eight years starting in 2009, before seeing an uptick last year.
Soccer and lacrosse are the sports struggling the most, while volleyball, baseball and softball could also use some help, since scheduling also plays a role in the shortage.
“At the start of the season when everything scheduled you’re thinking, ‘oh we’re doing pretty well,’ but what happens in baseball softball after a week of rain or snow in Ohio? They’re playing every day. And there’s no way we’ll ever have enough officials to do every game if they’re playing every day,” said Rugg.
The OHSAA says sports like basketball and football are easier to find officials for.
But it’s a different story for sports like soccer.
“The shortage sort of affects when we can play and what times we can play as well. And that’s really the biggest issue right now, and sometimes if a referee calls off for sickness or anything, it’s very rare we can get a replacement,” said Danny Fisher, Pacesetter Soccer Club.
Danny Fisher runs the Pacesetter Soccer Club — which has had to make adjustments to deal with the shortage, while also reprimanding some parents for comments made towards officials.
“We had a young referee who refereed one of our games and he literally walked off in tears because he got abused from the opposition team’s parents and coaching staff. And whether he referees again, I don’t know if he will. But that’s when we’ve lost if he doesn’t,” said Fisher.
To deal with the shortage, the OHSAA says many school districts get creative with scheduling, like doing JV and varsity doubleheaders.
And leagues like Pacesetter are trying to create a better culture by holding parents and coaches accountable at games.
Without the referees we don’t have a game. And if people do really think the referees aren’t good enough then go through a course and become a referee yourself,” said Fisher.
A message to officials they really are appreciated... and needed.