I am afraid the old fogeys are our best bet. I do not think the younger generation will be willing to replace the dinosaurs when they retire. If you check all sports, I think you will find that over half of the officials are pushing 50 or over and there are few younger people getting into it. The younger generation is not conditioned to take the conflicts, demanding schedules and criticisms; not to mention the travel, gas prices, equipment/uniforms, licensing fees and the piddly pay.
When you take into consideration the organizational meetings/training clinics, travel, and round-trip time invested per game, the pay is piddly. Officials have to work several nights/weekends per week to make it financially rewarding, in addition to their day jobs and family responsibilities. That is why you see the same officials over and over again because the numbers are at an all time low.
And for the rules, no one knows ALL the rules. It takes years of experience and mistake making to fully understand the rules. Some are quite confusing, especially in the heat of the moment when something unusual happens on the field/court and coaches and fans are screaming bloody murder. The old fogeys have the confidence to get through these moments; they are conditioned for it through years of experience; newby's not so much.
These are the reasons that I think the younger generation is going to take a pass on officiating; why put yourself through that. So maybe you ought to show a little appreciation to the old fogeys that have been there year in and year out who might be one bad night away from retiring. and, give some encouragement to the new ones who might not be up to speed just yet (you are going to need them someday).
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