Paying the referees

[Mauler]

No wonder so many people complain about bad referees. $40 a day is the lowest I have ever heard of a sport official being paid. I umpire fastpitch softball, which isn't a huge sport, and I get $20 for an hour long game. I usually call about 5 games so that's $100 for about half a day. I know t-ball umpires that can make a lot more than $40 a day. I can't believe the national levels are set that low. The only reason a referee would work for a tournament must be a favor.

Seems like that low rate needs to be changed.

Majority of the referees don't do what they do for money. With their knowledge and expertise in fencing, there are other ways for them to make more money for far less effort, time and stress. Culture within the referee community seems focus more on mutual respect and appreciation of recognizing each other for doing something only the few ever get into. And then there's the honor of being able to increase skills in a craft that takes great deal of discipline, practice and raw talent to do it right. In the end, referees gets paid the same no matter how good or horrible a job they do that day. But there's a priceless quality to having just refereed a very tough high level bout, and fencers and coaches from both sides make it a point to approach you and thank you for a job well done.

Even if you were to consider the upper range of $100/day in established divisions, after travel (many "regular" referee travel a significant distance), dry cleaning (they also wear their referee uniform), food (most events don't reimburse/provide dinner), there isn't much profit left. Creative referees instead find other means of making the most of their time on location. They find their own way of making the trip worthwhile -- monetary or other forms of rewards. I've been known to use regional refereeing assignments to finance my trips to tournaments where I can instruct former students who live far away after tournament is over, for instance.

As for the national events, referees definitely do not do what they do for money! But there's a great deal of motivation for many referees to try to be selected. National level tournaments are where the "real deal" takes place. That's where we get to observe firsthand what the best fencers in the nation are doing as well as having the opportunity to observe any innovations top coaches are coming up with before the knowledge trickles down to local levels. Referees also get access to best refereeing educators in the country who can personally observe their performance and provide feedback. And then there's the additional benefit of being paid to travel to vacation spots -- which they might even be able to enjoy if they do bad enough a job and get released early!

Biggest obstacle to increasing the referee pay at a national level seems to be the cost of providing travel and lodging. While actual "service fee" might be in the range of $20-$40 a day for a low/mid-level referee, it might have theoretically cost the USFA $200-$600 to fly them to wherever the event was! So that's pretty expensive investment. Of course the primary reason why they have to spend so much money just to transport a qualified referee across the country is because there doesn't seem to be enough locally available talent. The reason for which, of course, could be presumed that there's little motivation for new talents to be recruited into referee ranks. After everything they go through to become national referees, they have $20-$40 a day to look forward to. And once you make it there, you find out that better a job you do, more punished you will be.

There's definitely better monetary rewards in scholastic and collegiate refereeing. But expected standards for referee's performance is a lot higher in collegiate assignments. Damage-per-mistake ratio is way above what you would see in a typical USFA tournament. So it takes a lot more investment in terms of referee training and experience to make it to the ranks of "regular collegiate referee."

Now compare the amount of actual workload of a fencing referee to that of any other sports out there... Definitely lopsided. A fencing referee could make dozens to hundreds of critical calls in a given day. How many important calls would a track official make?

[yeoldearmourer]

My wife have been involed in fencing for over 30 years now she like many others referees what to give back to the sport that has given them so much. When my wife does a gold medal bout and she knows she made the right called in a diffucty decision she is high on doing a great job. Grant she did make the VEt Worlds team last and going go due to a injury its was a disappointement. But she at times as walk over to the FOC and tell them to pull her because she reconize the fact that she is getting tired aand need the break because her calling is off. I remenber when Jeff B used to fencing and Sharon Everston do I have stories on those two I could tell. Bill Oliver is another one have stories on. But when you been around fencing as long as my wife and I have been you make alot of freinds. My wife and daughter goes back and talked about calleds they have made and wonder if they good have done better that day for the fencer

[Chafunkta]

How many important calls would a track official make?

Alright, alright, well written, well presented, I'll give you some rep.

Yes, I know that referees don't do it just for the money. I don't umpire just for the money. I also understand that in order to officiate any sport effectively one must have a love for that sport.

Reading on and finding that some referees make $100 or so a day changed my opinion. Before I posted I didn't read the posts that claimed the $100 a day, so I've reconsidered.

I know referees don't make much money and I think it's a shame. But it seems like it has to be that way given the economics. By the way, knowing that referees barely get paid, I've been studying for the exam and plan to take it soon in the future.

[oso97]

Chafunkta,

Since you're in Louisiana, which is part of the Southwest Section, we have a pretty good referee mentoring and development program running over here. PM me your info and I'll send you the details.