High school sports facing referee shortage

Mark Demsky reports

THERE MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGHFORTY'S MARK DEMSKY HAS MORE.AFTER A YEAR AND A HALFWAIT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALLFINALLY RETURNED LAST WEEKENDAND FOR THE MOST PART THERETURN TO PLAY WENT PRETTYSMOOTH FOR THE MAJORITY OFSCHOOLS.

BUT AS MORE TEAMS HITTHE FIELD OF PLAY STARTINGTHIS WEEKEND.

THERE SIMPLYAREN'T ENOUGH REFEREES TOPROPERLY OFFICIATE GAMES.

YEAHWE'RE LOW, WE USUALLY COVERTHE GAMES WITH 5 OFFICIALSREALLY ONLY GONNA BE ABLE TOCOVER THEM WITH 4 OFFICIALSSMALLER CREWS IS A SAFETYCONCERN, ESPECIALLY AT THEVARSITY LEVEL WHERE THE JOB OFTHE OFFICIATING CREW IS NOTJUST TO CALL PENALTIES.

BUT ATTHIS GAME MANAGERS SO THINGSDON'T GET OUT OF HAND THAT 5THOFFICIAL WHEN IT WASOFFICIALLY BROUGHT IN WASBROUGHT IN TO KIND OF SERVETHAT ROLE TO TO BE THAT EXTRAPAIR OF EYES TO KEEP AN EYEON.SOMETHING BEFORE IT GOT OUTOF CONTROL.SOME GAMES ARE BEING MOVEDTO EITHER THURSDAY'S ORSATURDAY IS BECAUSE OF THESHORTAGE THE NUMBER OFREFEREES HAS BEEN DECLININGTHE LAST SEVERAL YEARS BUT THEPANDEMIC REALLY HAS PUT A DENTIN THINGS TO NOT JUSTFOOTBALL.FOOTBALL'S INTO HIS RIGHTIT ALL OFFICIATING ACROSS THEBOARD.

WE NEED SPORTS.

SO IFYOU'RE INTERESTED IN ANYSPORT.

WE CAN FIND SOMEWHEREFOR YOU TO COME IN AND WORKEDIN THE SPAN JUST AN EXCELLENTHAVE BEEN ABLE TO NOT ONLY.TAKE ME UNDER THEIR WING ONTHE FOOTBALL FIELD, BUT ALSOIN LIFE JOE JOE FREEMAN HELPSTRAIN NEW OFFICIALS THEY GETTHEIR START ONLINE AND THENADVANCED QUICKLY TO SOME ONTHE JOB TRAINING LAST WEEK WEHAD AN OFFICIAL WHO HAD JUSTSIGNED UP THE WEEK BEFORE.AND WAS DOING HIS FIRSTGAME EVER HE AND I HIT THEFIELD AN HOUR BEFORE THE GAMEWENT OVER SOME THINGS AND HEHAD A BLAST.

THE BOTTOM LINEIS WE JUST NEED PEOPLE TO BEKNOW GIVE IT A SHOT GIVE IT ATRY TO REALLY GOOD TIME RIGHTNOW TOO BECAUSE IN THE SPRING.WITH THE SHORT SEASON.

WEGET PEOPLE LINED UP AND THENTHEY'LL BE IN A BETTERAND NO MATTER WHAT THE SPORTTHE TIME FROM SIGNING UP TOGETTING OUT ON THE FIELDOFFICIATING ONLY TAKESLITERALLY ABOUT A WEEK FORMORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO DOTHAT WE POSTED A LINK TO OURWEBSITE FOX 40 DOT COM ALONGWITH THIS STORY.

FOX FORTY'SSPORT.

I'M MARK DEMSKY AND AQUICK REMINDER AS WELL JIM