By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
A referee shortage has already affected Raton High School Football and will likely impact other games before the fall sports season ends.
The first Raton football game of the season is on a Thursday evening in Tucumcari where Raton will take on Eunice. The move to Thursday evening is due to a shortage of football referees in the state. And pay changes this year may also be affecting the referee shortage as NMAA has chosen to change the pay schedule and take away pay for meals and change the travel pay for referees who have to travel to out of town games.
While the NMAA sets the pay schedule for referees the home school is responsible for paying referees according to Tonya Menapace the Raton Schools athletic secretary. Gate receipts are used to cover sport expenses including referee pay.
Pay for high school sports begins with Volleyball at $55 per match, Soccer at $65 followed by Softball at $70 and Basketball, Baseball and Football being paid at $75 per game. JV games pay $20 less per game and Jr High $10 less than JV.
Hotel per diem is only paid for travel over 150 miles one way if referees choose to stay overnight and communicate that with the host school and is paid at $125. Travel pay use to be paid on a per mile basis but has changes to a rate schedule that covers distance. For example, if a referee lives less that 25 miles from a contest he will not receive any pay for the travel. If the mileage is 25-50 miles, the driver gets $30. 51-100 miles is paid at $40. While 101-150 miles pays $50 and 151-200 pays $60 with pay up to 550 miles traveled one way.
As Randy Casper a local referee puts it you don’t do it for the pay. How much will the pay schedule effect people wanting to be a referee? Only time will tell but as Raton has already seen it could be a season of schedule changes and possibly more referees leaving the job as inflation takes its toll on fuel prices and other expenses.
