Throughout the state, school sports are experiencing a severe referee shortage. The Texas Association of Sports Officials estimates that there are 5,000 referee vacancies, which has led to games to be pushed back or cancelled altogether. But what’s causing this shortage, and how do we fix it?
Sports games, whether varsity, sub-varsity, junior high or even at the youth level, are usually heated. Tensions between spectators, players, coaches and the referees flare when decisions are made by the referees. The abuse referees face due to these tensions is a major factor in the shortage. Referees already have a full work schedule in addition to their duties as officials. Abuse kills morale among the officiating community. The number of people becoming referees has dropped drastically over the past few years, and the turnover rate has only grown. Many cite the treatment that they receive during games as their reason for leaving.
The effects of the referee shortage have echoed throughout the state. Games have been moved from Fridays to Thursdays or Saturdays due to a lack of referees. Referees have had to travel long distances to officiate games. It’s become clear that this shortage is unsustainable, and that the abuse of referees needs to stop. In 2025, the state legislature passed a law that gave referees the authority to remove spectators from games without warning, but even with this law, the abuse has not stopped.
Those who abuse referees often claim that bad calls led to their behavior, but no matter how egregious a decision may seem, it is simply never OK to abuse officials. Additionally, while the new state law is certainly useful, it’s not enough to combat the referee shortage. The culture around sports needs to change.
Without referees, games can’t be played. Unfortunately, referees either aren’t signing up or are quitting altogether due to abuse. This has led to major schedule changes across the state and even worse conditions for referees. If we wish to keep our high schools sports going, the abuse of referees needs to stop.