Due to a shortage of officials, the Tennessee Board of Control passed a resolution that schools would be required to play on Thursday so that all games each week can be satisfactorily covered. The state office must only reschedule one game for each school although up to 20 total games could be moved each week. This will be in place only for the 2022 season and a proposal for football scheduling in subsequent years will be presented at the next Board meeting. Schools will be informed by mid-March if they have a game that is moved and when that will be.  They also cited safety concerns as officials that had retired from working on the field and were now clock operators were being pressed back into service due to the shortage.

How sad on so many levels. 

There is a saying in the officiating circle.....without us its just a scrimmage or a practice.

When will people understand that "you" are the problem BUT "you" can ALSO be the solution!

Fed up!!!  This is only the beginning unfortunately......

I hate the circumstances but as someone who loves watching football, Thursday night games are pretty cool!

I can’t speak for all, but Thursday night football will be alright by me. 

I’ve heard the saying as: “Without officials it’s just recess”

Also seen on a KHSAA/NFHS ad, "You can't have the stars without the stripes."

Recently talked into getting recertified in a couple of sports as I ease into retirement. Looking forward to giving back to what brings us all here.

Pay officials a considerable amount more than the current rates and hold them to a higher standard.

31 minutes ago, farawaycomet2 said:

Pay officials a considerable amount more than the current rates and hold them to a higher standard.

Boy that sounds like a brilliant idea... BUT here is my soapbox commentary on that:

We as a fan base, coaches and players are losing the battle of allowing officials to develop so they can become the High Quality Officials you would like to see on Friday nights for football or several nights for basketball games or soccer games or any other sporting event you name it.

I invite you to attend any type of youth sporting event even down to an 8 year old soccer match and witness the behavior that the fans/coaches give to the officials.

When and how do you expect officials to develop and be mentored with other officials if you don't allow these people some "grace" while officiating especially the youth game????

LEAVE the officials ALONE at least at this level!!!!  It is absolutely despicable that we have a society that condones this behavior from the parents AND the coaches. 

Don't get me wrong, I have played the game and coached the game and it wasn't until I officiated the game when I realized how wrong this behavior is, so for everyone that hasn't walked in those shoes I realize you think the easy the solution is just to "pay them more and hold them to a higher standard".  Issue solved.....WRONG

You know what part of that statement IS going to be a reality though is the "Paying them more" the supply and demand channel of officiating is going to sway so heavily towards the paying them more side that you now will have officials ONLY that officiate the sports and games that pay the high price and then you will have NO officials for the lower rank rec or younger age group AT ALL.

You don't expect little Suzy or little Johnny at the beginning of their Sports career to have the Varsity level talent in any sport do you?????  How do you expect Big Suzy and Big Johnny to have Varsity level Officiating talent if you don't allow them to grow and develop at the lower ranks of these sports that they want to officiate??????

I hope I have made my point on my soapbox, any questions????

Officiating Information from the KHSAA:

FOOTBALL ASSIGNING SECRETARIES
Listed below are the current Football Assigning Secretaries, along with the Policy Board who has selected this assigner, and the counties that are represented by that specific Policy Board. Note that some counties may be in more than one region. Please also note that specific schools may choose any independent contracting assigner from this list to perform those services for that school. There are some regional policy boards who do not employ an assigner, and utilize the services of an assigner in an adjacent region.

 

1st Region- Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken

Joe Lewis
3815 Primrose Place
Paducah, KY 42001
270-442-2883 (H)    [email protected]    270-556-5737

 

2nd Region- Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Henderson, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Trigg, Union, Webster

Jay Davis
901 Turnbury Drive
Princeton, KY 42445
270-601-3733 (W)    [email protected]    270-836-0449

 

3rd Region- Breckinridge, Butler, Daviess, Edmonson, Grayson, Hancock, McLean, Meade, Muhlenberg, Ohio

Brad Phipps
307 Wheeler Ave.
Greenville, KY 42345
270-338-0040- (W)    [email protected]    270-543-3360

 

4th Region- Allen, Barren, Clinton, Cumberland, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Russell, Simpson, Todd, Warren

Harold (Kris) Fields
233 Freestone Court
Bowling Green, KY 42103
270-784-3483- (W)    [email protected]    502-263-3278

 

5th Region- Adair, Green, Hardin, Hart, Larue, Marion, Nelson, Taylor, Washington

Andy Strain
102 Daffodil Ct.
Radcliff, KY 40160
270-351-1323- (W)
270-351-7375 (H)    [email protected]    270-272-3205

 

6th / 7th Region- Bullitt, Jefferson

Don Hudson
1311 Amy Aves
Sellersburg, IN 47172
502-210-3609 - (W)    [email protected]    502-210-3609

 

8th Region- Anderson, Boone, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Henry, Kenton, Oldham, Owen, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, Woodford    Shares services with adjacent regions

 

9th Region- Boone, Campbell, Kenton

Steve Fromeyer
60 16th St.
Newport, KY 41071
859-743-5789 (C)    [email protected]    859-743-5789

 

10th /11th Region- Bourbon, Bracken, Campbell, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Kenton, Madison, Mason, Montgomery, Nicholas, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott

Keith Morgan
112 West Laurel Road
London, KY 40741
606-864-8203  (H)    [email protected]    606-231-6405

 

12th Region- Boyle, Casey, Garrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, McCreary, Mercer, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Wayne

Kevin Dalton
363 Planters Way
Somerset, KY 42503
606-678-4956- (W)
606-678-9142 (H)    [email protected]    606-875-4236

 

13th Region- Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Whitley

Joseph Michael Black
23 Leatherwood Drive
London, KY 40741
606-862-4699- (W)
606-878-2601 (H)    [email protected]    606-682-4246

 

14th Region- Breathitt, Estill, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Wolfe

Kyle Maggard
412 Napier Branch Rd
Hazard, KY 41701
606-487-0744- (W)    [email protected]    606-309-0624

 

15th Region- Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Pike

Kevin Garris
1492 Broad Bottom Rd.
Pikeville, KY 41501
606-432-0185- (W)
606-437-9972 (H)    [email protected]    606-422-6565

 

16th Region- Bath, Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Fleming, Greenup, Lewis, Menifee, Morgan, Rowan

Brian Taylor
206 Belleview Dr.
Russell, KY 41169
606-465-2906    [email protected]

https://khsaa.org/officials/officiating-information/

22 minutes ago, FrankNicodemus said:

Boy that sounds like a brilliant idea... BUT here is my soapbox commentary on that:

We as a fan base, coaches and players are losing the battle of allowing officials to develop so they can become the High Quality Officials you would like to see on Friday nights for football or several nights for basketball games or soccer games or any other sporting event you name it.

I invite you to attend any type of youth sporting event even down to an 8 year old soccer match and witness the behavior that the fans/coaches give to the officials.

When and how do you expect officials to develop and be mentored with other officials if you don't allow these people some "grace" while officiating especially the youth game????

LEAVE the officials ALONE at least at this level!!!!  It is absolutely despicable that we have a society that condones this behavior from the parents AND the coaches. 

Don't get me wrong, I have played the game and coached the game and it wasn't until I officiated the game when I realized how wrong this behavior is, so for everyone that hasn't walked in those shoes I realize you think the easy the solution is just to "pay them more and hold them to a higher standard".  Issue solved.....WRONG

You know what part of that statement IS going to be a reality though is the "Paying them more" the supply and demand channel of officiating is going to sway so heavily towards the paying them more side that you now will have officials ONLY that officiate the sports and games that pay the high price and then you will have NO officials for the lower rank rec or younger age group AT ALL.

You don't expect little Suzy or little Johnny at the beginning of their Sports career to have the Varsity level talent in any sport do you?????  How do you expect Big Suzy and Big Johnny to have Varsity level Officiating talent if you don't allow them to grow and develop at the lower ranks of these sports that they want to officiate??????

I hope I have made my point on my soapbox, any questions????

Not a question but if the powers that be paid officials a lot more on all levels this problem would mostly go away.

1 minute ago, theguru said:

Not a question but if the powers that be paid officials a lot more on all levels this problem would mostly go away.

I agree, but where does that money come from? Especially on the lower levels? 

I'm afraid it might also increase the parent/coach problem though. "You're being paid x amount of dollars to do a good job" Of course, paying more likely = more officials which in turn = weeding out the ones who are struggling. 

Just now, ChickenWyngz said:

I agree, but where does that money come from? Especially on the lower levels? 

I'm afraid it might also increase the parent/coach problem though. "You're being paid x amount of dollars to do a good job" Of course, paying more likely = more officials which in turn = weeding out the ones who are struggling. 

I guess everyone is going to have to pay one dollar extra per game to get in. 

One of my major points is experience.  Fan bases/Coaches are not allowing these Officials to have proper experience in the lower levels to be good in their craft to move up to the High School ranks.

I would assume, if you look at the KHSAA stuff that @theguru posted their isn't anything in the ability to officiate for the KHSAA in experience.  The qualifications are probably as simples as:

Pay some sort of Dues, Attend a class on a weekend to pass a Rules/Laws test, and attend a few clinics before the season starts, buy a uniform and go!

Now in Utopia world you would hope these people that want to officiate for KHSAA have cut their teeth maybe for a few years in the youth game....THIS is my beef, we have RUN off the officials that want to develop b/c of our behavior towards them in the youth game.  SO now who do you have going towards these KHSAA jobs to officiate, Big Johnny and Big Suzy that see this nice side gig on the weekends to officiate to earn a few bucks.  BOY those are the people I want to have my games on Friday night...haha

3 hours ago, FrankNicodemus said:

One of my major points is experience.  Fan bases/Coaches are not allowing these Officials to have proper experience in the lower levels to be good in their craft to move up to the High School ranks.

I would assume, if you look at the KHSAA stuff that @theguru posted their isn't anything in the ability to officiate for the KHSAA in experience.  The qualifications are probably as simples as:

Pay some sort of Dues, Attend a class on a weekend to pass a Rules/Laws test, and attend a few clinics before the season starts, buy a uniform and go!

Now in Utopia world you would hope these people that want to officiate for KHSAA have cut their teeth maybe for a few years in the youth game....THIS is my beef, we have RUN off the officials that want to develop b/c of our behavior towards them in the youth game.  SO now who do you have going towards these KHSAA jobs to officiate, Big Johnny and Big Suzy that see this nice side gig on the weekends to officiate to earn a few bucks.  BOY those are the people I want to have my games on Friday night...haha

@FrankNicodemus I appreciate your analysis of a very real problem. As a coach, I know I've said things I regret to the black and whites and contributed to this crisis. I also know quality stripes when I see them and when I don't see them on the field. 

What are some solutions you have to offer for all the stakeholder groups you mention? Parents, Players, Coaches?

Specifically, how can I help you make more quality officials?

I'm actively recruiting my former players right now, just so you know!