SWFL Refs

[gatorman-uf]

There are times that I gladly stand with the FHSAA, but this isn't one of them. Pay them the $10 per game, no ref is getting rich off it. Individually, the ref makes maybe $200 more a year if they work every JV and Varsity. For a school, it costs less than a $1000. The FHSAA is going to spend more on travel stipends to cover the refs than the increase would be.

 

https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2019/08/12/fhsaa-revokes-sanction-lee-county-officials/1987151001/

[Perspective]

7 hours ago, gatorman-uf said:

There are times that I gladly stand with the FHSAA, but this isn't one of them. Pay them the $10 per game, no ref is getting rich off it. Individually, the ref makes maybe $200 more a year if they work every JV and Varsity. For a school, it costs less than a $1000. The FHSAA is going to spend more on travel stipends to cover the refs than the increase would be.

 

https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2019/08/12/fhsaa-revokes-sanction-lee-county-officials/1987151001/

I hear what you are saying, but two things stick out in my mind:  first, according to the article in the link, "the SGFOA signed a contract to cover Lee Schools' football games in May."   In other words, three months ago, the SGFOA signed a contract in which they agreed to ref games for a certain price.   It appears to me that the leadership with the SGFOA saw a couple of other associations around the state threatening to hold out or go on strike and decided they'd jump on the bandwagon.  While I agree they should be paid a little more, I can't sympathize with them under these circumstances.  

Second, correct me if I'm wrong, but the FHSAA doesn't pay the refs, right?   The refs are paid by the counties or, in some cases, the individual schools (right CJM?).  The only authority the FHSAA has in this matter is to grant or revoke the authority of a particular association to referee games in a particular area.  In this case, they revoked the authority because the SGFOA breached the contract they signed three months ago.  This, in turn, allows Lee County to contract with another association to cover their games. 

My guess is that the SGFOA will back down, they'll be reinstated by the FHSAA, they'll handle the Lee County games this year under the existing contract, and that a slight pay raise will be negotiated for next year.  The only question I have is how long this process will take. 

[peezy28]

have they came up with a solution yet?

[Perspective]

The parties appear to be close:

https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2019/08/13/lee-county-football-officials-strike-deal-schools-return-work/2000799001/

Once a deal is struck, the FHSAA will still have to reinstate the SGGOA, but I suspect that will be rubber-stamped. No reason why it shouldn't be. 

 

[Wavebb]

Last word I received is that the games are not going to be played in Lee County.  Hope it was wrong.  Pre-season games are important to the coaching staffs to get the kids in the right position and open up with a good effort  when it counts.. Sad

[DisabledAccount]

This i believe only affects the teams hosting in the county

 

If they traveling out of county they will still play 

 

 

[SportsNut25]

27 minutes ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

This i believe only affects the teams hosting in the county

 

If they traveling out of county they will still play 

 

 

Correct -- impacting around 7-10 games last I heard

[Perspective]

I think this is the most recent article:

https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2019/08/14/preseason-football-games-cancelled-lee-county-work-stoppage/2009506001/?utm_source=oembed&utm_medium=onsite&utm_campaign=storylines&utm_content=news&utm_term=1512885001