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How do I become a football referee?
How long is the season?
Can you make any money at this?
Is it very expensive or time consuming?
Who assigns the games?
Is there more than High School?

How do I become a football referee?

Local chapters across the state of Texas, and indeed throughout the nation, welcome people interested in the game of football. The Beaumont Chapter begins its meetings on the 3rd Monday of July every year. For the year 2006 the chapter meetings will be at 7:00 PM at the IBEW Hall on Spindeltop Drive on the south side of Beaumont. Attending a chapter meeting will go a long way toward answering all your questions. It is very easy to become a football referee. The first requirement is to be over 18 years of age and out of high school. Also, the Texas Association of Football Officials and all its chapters requires that no one can be convicted of a felony offense.

After the first couple of meetings, special training sessions are conducted at 6:00 PM before the larger meetings. New and newer members are encouraged to attend these training sessions to pick up valuable pointers on how to handle yourself on the field or other important aspects of officiating. The chapter meetings are devoted to the study of rules from the NCAA Rules Book (Yes, Texas and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are the only states in the nation that play high school football by the same rules as colleges). The chapter meetings also can be devoted to the study of mechanics, the art of working the various positions on the field.

New members can begin working on the field very soon after joining. Scrimmages held the last half of August are excellent opportunities to learn on field mechanics from more experienced officials. New members are needed to help with the game schedule of junior high and sub-varsity games. Also, good learning can take place at varsity games as newer members are assigned to accompany experienced crews as members of the chain and down box crew. Attendance at the varsity pre-game conference and close observation of the game can be very instructional. Finally, even though the local chapter doesn't formally assign Pop Warner or other Junior League games, the persons running those leagues routinely solicit football officials to work their games.

If you need additional information, kindly send an e-mail to the chapter Business Secretary or attend a Chapter Meeting on any Monday between July and November.

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How long is the season?

Starting in 2000, the Beaumont Chapter Board of Directors has been holding an informal spring meeting for members to stay up to speed on developments in the world of officiating, for recruitment of new members, and for information on 4A and 5A intersquad spring games. Look for more information on this web site's home page or Calendar page for the next Spring meeting.

Regular chapter meetings start the 3rd Monday of July every year. For 2008, the first chapter meeting will be on July 21, at 7:00 PM.

The on-field football season mirrors the high school football season, beginning with scrimmages in August and ending with the regular season in November. Playoff assignments can extend the season just as it does for playoff teams.

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Can you make any money at this?

Although nearly all officials will tell you that they work football for the love of the game, and that is certainly true, financial pay is also a consideration. Scrimmages are worked for free in Southeast Texas, but other assignments are paid by the schools. A chain or down box assignment at a varsity game pays $35 each, and an assignment running the clock pays $40. The 2008 Beaumont Chapter pay scale for sub-varsity football contests will follow the new UIL pay structure for sub-varsity.

Varsity pay in Texas is determined by the University Interscholastic League. The UIL sets a scale for all high schools that determines officials' pay by the gate receipts. The varsity pay starts at $40 and can go well over $100 for big games.

All local schools pay by check through the mail. Home field schools handle this item.

Newer members frequently are recruited by Pop Warner or other junior league football organizations to work their league games on Saturdays. These games used to pay $8 per game for a quickie running clock game 25 years ago, but now many pay up to $30-40 per game. If you work 6 junior league games on a Saturday, you can pick up some pretty good spending change. Plus, you will get to see almost any football play imaginable. And meet the best coaches in the Known Universe. (In Their Humble Opinion, of course.)

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Is it very expensive or time consuming?

There is some expense involved to offset all those big dollars you heard about in the previous question. The state organization, TASO, charges a $25 dollar first year application fee. Thereafter, the state annual dues run $50. The Beaumont Chapter has annual local dues of $40, except the local dues have been waived starting in 2001 for first time members. So, you are looking at merely $25 in dues to get started. A basic uniform package will run close to 200 dollars for everything you need to get started working games on the field. You can be assured that you will receive enough assignments to more than pay off your starting expenses and dues.

The football season can be demanding on time, depending on how much football you care to work. Meetings are on Monday nights, and run about an hour and half. Most 5A and 4A schools play junior high games on Tuesdays, but we are not overrun with Tuesday games. Thursdays are very demanding, as there are 3A, 2A, and 1A junior highs, 9th grade games from larger schools, and all size schools' junior varsity games to work. All members are highly encouraged to work Thursdays to support our local schools. Fridays are the varsity contest, but you already knew that. Usually the only reason a person wouldn't have at least a chain assignment on Friday is if they turned one down.

The chapter does not assign football at junior leagues below junior high, but many newer members work those games for the experience and they pay good money. Often a member of the chapter will act as the scheduler of officials for junior leagues. Most junior league games are played on Saturdays, but occasionally there can be night games for some leagues. A few varsity games are held on Saturdays, but their related chain and timer assignments are easy to fill.

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Who assigns the games?

The assignment responsibility belongs to the chapter Assignment Secretary. The Assignment Secretary is a member of the Board of Directors of the Beaumont Chapter. He will make all chain and timer assignments for varsity games, and coordinates any fill-ins that are needed for on-field varsity officials.

Up to three chapter members may work for the Secretary as Sub-Varsity Assignors. The Southeast Texas region is divided into North County, South County, and Orange County regions for Tuesday and Thursday sub-varsity assignments.

But what about Varsity assignments? Varsity game officials are selected by the head football coaches of the schools involved in the contest. The Beaumont Chapter uses the crew format, therefore varsity coaches agree, as per UIL requirement, on the crew of their choice, or a made-up crew of members not on a permanent crew (the Open Board), or on officials from somewhere else in the state of Texas.

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Is there more than High School?

If you are looking to get into the Bowl Championship Series or the Super Bowl, this is how to do it. All officials working at a collegiate or professional level began with junior high games.

TASO maintains a Ranking System which classifies officials by seniority, educational work, and field experience. As you advance in time and on the ranking system, you will become known by other officials from working with them on Thursdays and Fridays. You likely will be picked up on a crew sooner than you would expect and begin working varsity games on Friday night. Please do not expect to be assigned the Nederland/Port Neches game or Beaumont Bowl your first or second time out with the uniform, but rest assured that with good work by you and your crew it is well within the realm of possibilities.

Several members of the Beaumont Chapter are college officials in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the Southland Football League, and the Big XII Conference. The Beaumont Chapter has had members previously in the Southwest Conference, Conference USA, SWAC, and Lone Star Conference. One of our senior members, Beau Hicks, is an advisor for the SWAC and scouts officials for the Big XII Conference and NFL.

Getting to the college or NFL ranks is similar to getting on the board of directors of a major corporation, there is a lot of competition for a few openings. However, this is the place to start. Plus there is a great camaraderie in working high school football; it is the king of sports in Texas, after all! Be sure and drop by for a meeting or two and see if you don't just get hooked.