Referee Shortage Crisis Hits NY Schools: What It Means for Coaches & Student-Athletes
BY LOGAN FULLER ’28
Tensions have been high on school sports fields and courts recently because of a New York state-wide referee shortage. This shortage has led to less qualified referees who tend to make more questionable calls.
Since 2020, there has been a referee shortage in New York state school sporting events. During the Covid-19 pandemic, sporting games stopped, causing many referees to step down or pick up other jobs. Although games have since resumed, most of the referees have not returned, leading to this shortage.
In New York state, the process for referee certification depends on the specific sport, as well as the association. A referee candidate takes classes for a certain number of hours to gain certification, and then they can referee for middle school sports, working their way up to junior varsity and ultimately varsity-level sports.
Currently, some sports are more impacted by the referee shortage than others. For example, according to Mr. Brett Kornblum, Jericho’s Athletic Director and Curriculum Associate of Health, Physical Education, & Athletics, the most coveted sport to referee is basketball. Basketball is in high demand due to ex-players or referees just wanting to stay involved in the sport; conversely, the sports that suffer the most from this shortage are soccer and volleyball, especially at the middle school level.
Mr. Kornblum said, “The biggest issue with soccer is that it’s usually the same officials. So there’s only X amount of officials that could be used. And it has to be split between the girls and the boys.”
Eighth Grade Boys Soccer Coach Christian Lyons believes the recent behavior of game spectators and coaches toward officials has contributed to the referee shortage. Coach Lyons said, “I want to acknowledge the fact that these officials have a tough job. One problem in the sports world right now is abuse of officials and how spectators and coaches speak to officials.”
Coach Lyons proceeded to note how he believes the treatment of officials has gotten worse over recent years. He added, “That is why most officials are stepping away from the profession, because they don’t want to deal with these spectators and coaches.” Coach Lyons has faced the effects of this shortage multiple times this year. If no referee shows up, any available staff members who know the rules must step in, or the coaches have to referee.
Girls Middle School Soccer Coach Gregory Boyle believes that one of the biggest problems to arise from the shortage is the quality of referees. Coach Boyle explained that with the smaller pool of candidates interested in refereeing, there are fewer opportunities for high-quality officiating training. Coach Boyle said, “With a larger pool of referees, leagues can provide better training, mentoring, and development opportunities, which ultimately leads to higher-quality officiating.” With such a small number of people interested, this training is not available.
The shortage of school referees has impacted coaches, players, and spectators across the state, including those at Jericho. After speaking with Jericho High School student athletes, it is clear that this shortage has led to frustration for multiple reasons. Three-season athlete Taylor B. ’28 said, “The referee shortage has caused delays in starting and finishing games, which can be frustrating for players and fans.”
Additionally, the referees available tend to make fewer calls during games, such as fouls or travels. This shortage is impacting not only the quality of the game play, but also the student athletes’ confidence on the field. Taylor added, “The quality of referees really affects my performance because clear and fair calls help me stay focused and confident. If referees make inconsistent or wrong decisions, it can be frustrating, which might impact how well you play.”
Soccer player Chloe D. ’28 agreed with Taylor about the impact of the referee shortage on student athletes’ self-perception. She noticed how the referee shortage is also impacting team dynamics. Chloe said, “I have seen many times when my teammates would get increasingly angry with bad calls from the referee. This sometimes resulted in my teammates receiving red or yellow cards. It ruins the fun of the game for everyone.” Chloe has also experienced referees not showing up to games, presumably due to the shortage, causing the coaches to step in instead.
It is clear that this ongoing referee shortage is impacting all members involved school sports on a state-wide level. While the resolution seems unclear, an understanding of the situation is necessary for a solution to bring a larger quantity and better quality of referees to New York’s schools.