It’s not a glamorous job, but referees keep games going each week for players, parents and coaches.
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KIENAN O'DOHERTY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
November 15, 2024
2 minute read
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Across the prep sports landscape this fall, there has been a plethora of scheduling changes for local high school teams.
In football alone, the long-standing tradition of “Friday Night Lights” has been expanded to include more games on Saturdays — and even some on Thursdays.
Casa Grande High School’s varsity team had to play a league game against Tamalpais on a Thursday night — Tam’s second Thursday night game of the season.
The reason? There aren’t enough game officials to staff a full slate of Friday night games.
The North Bay Officials Organization, which oversees the referees and other game officials in the region, has 66 names on its roster — and three are currently on the injured list. Out of the 63 who remain, seven are in their first year, 18 have less than three years of experience and 45 have more than three years. This year, the total number of officials who can work games is down 10%.
“If you look at the National Association of Sports Officials, you’ll find that sportsmanship is at an all-time low,” said Spencer Crum, the head of the North Bay officials group who is in his 27th year working high school games.
NBOO members cover a wide area, officiating at games in Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties as well as in Middletown and Ukiah. That’s more than 30 high schools.
It’s not a glamorous job.
“A lot of refs are real hesitant to get into it due to the negative reactions of the crowd and coaches,” Crum said. “There’s a real hesitancy to get involved right now, and it’s really hard to keep them once they do get in
because they get yelled at so much. As much as we enjoy it, there are times when the crowds, the kids and the coaches become overly boisterous.”
Members of the NBOO group have had their fair share of encounters with hostile coaches and crowds, Crum said — from a coach squirting an official in the face with a water bottle to a referee crew being followed to their locker room by a coach shouting profanities at them.
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Officials get $100 for a varsity game and $59 for a JV contest.
Prior to each game, the officials will give evaluation cards to the coaches of both teams. They can be mailed back to the NBOO anonymously after the game, but Crum said only about 25% are returned.
And this fall’s league realignment for the largest football-playing schools that created the four-tier Redwood Empire Conference led to more Friday night games — a new wrinkle that is proving extremely difficult for Crum’s group to cover.
“In the past, we’ve had about 11 games on a Friday night,” Crum said. “This year for some reason we have upward of 15 requests on a Friday night. We have more teams with lights than ever before, a lot of teams with single games being requested, and it’s been really hard for us to cover.”
And with the first round of the North Coast Section playoffs this weekend, eight games took place Friday night and another four are set for Saturday.
So why become an official? Crum has an answer.
“It’s super fun to be a part of, it’s a great thing to do on Friday nights — and a good way to give back to the community,” he said.
Trying to keep up with the demand, the NBOO is always looking for new help. Anyone interested can sign up at
nbofficials.org.
You can reach Staff Writer Kienan O’Doherty at 415-887-8650 or kienan.odoherty@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @kodoherty22.
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