‘Make the call’: Florida schools in need of referees

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Schools across the country have had to cancel sporting events due to a lack of licensed referees.

According to the Florida High School Athletic Association, the number of referees in the state has dropped by ten percent in the last four years.

READ: 2 students, bus driver hospitalized following Seminole County school bus crash

A 2018 survey by the National Association of Sports Officials showed that eight out of 10 referees quit within their first three years.

The main reasons for quitting included a general lack of support, and a lack of standardized training and expectations.

The referee shortage has led the Central Florida Officials Association to ask local school districts to schedule more football games on Thursday nights.

READ: Florida alligator hunters to have more hours, weapon options for this year’s hunt

To help boost their numbers, Orange County Public Schools is partnering with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission to host a referee recruiting fair.

Participants will get access to referee training and information on how to actually earn money as an official in the sports industry.

It’s geared towards Orange County juniors and seniors who are interested in becoming sports officials.

The referee recruiting fair is being held Monday, May 9 at Boone High School starting at 6 p.m.

READ: Massive backlog of appointments at immigration office forces people to sleep outside, wait in lines

Up to 100 students who participate will also be given all of their officiating equipment for free.

For more information, or to register for the event, click here.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2022 Cox Media Group