LOGAN — A shortage of football officials is creating growing concerns for youth and high school programs in Cache Valley and across northern Utah, prompting local officials to encourage more people to consider putting on the stripes.
Mike Fuhriman, president of the Utah High School Football Officials Association, and past president Alan Marietti discussed the shortage during a recent appearance on KVNU’s “For the People” with host Jason Williams.
Fuhriman said the need is significant enough that anyone considering becoming an official would be welcomed immediately.
“I can tell you you’ll be received with open arms and standing ovations because we need you so badly,” Fuhriman said.
Those interested in officiating high school sports can begin by registering through the Utah High School Activities Association website. Fuhriman said local association leaders then help prospective officials obtain rule books, attend training and clinics and begin receiving assignments.
The shortage is particularly important at the youth level, where officials gain much of the experience needed before advancing to high school games.
Fuhriman described Little League football as a training ground for officials, giving them the repetitions — or “snaps” — needed to learn how to recognize plays, penalties and unusual situations as they develop.
“There’s no magic training facility in the sky,” Fuhriman said. “This is where we get our training is through more snaps.”
But youth football is also where the officiating ranks can lose newcomers.
Fuhriman said inexperienced officials frequently encounter criticism from spectators, parents and coaches before they have enough time to develop their skills.
“I’ll tell people this way, I say, you know, they’ll say that’s a terrible official. And I say, no, that’s a really good official in about five years,” Fuhriman said. “But the problem is they never make it to the five years because they take such abuse at the Little League level that they quit before they ever get to the five year level.”
The problem is being felt locally.
Fuhriman said officials in the Cache Valley and Ogden areas have increasingly turned to high school students to help fill youth football assignments because there are not enough adult officials available.
Marietti said retaining younger officials is particularly important because the existing officiating workforce is aging.
He estimated that the average beginning official remains involved for only two to three years, in part because of criticism and other challenges associated with the job. He also estimated the average age of a Utah high school official at roughly 43 to 45.
“If we don’t have those younger officials coming in to support the athletics and the officiating, it’s going to disappear,” Marietti said. “Or they’re going to be playing games throughout the week as opposed to on a Saturday or a Friday night.”
Both officials said newcomers do not need to have an expert-level understanding of football before getting involved.
Fuhriman said experienced crew members help new officials learn penalty enforcement and positioning, while the newer official gains experience recognizing common infractions.
“What you need is a passion for the game,” Fuhriman said.
Officials are also evaluated and ranked as they gain experience. Fuhriman said those rankings help determine playoff assignments, giving officials opportunities to advance deeper into the postseason and potentially move into college officiating.
For people in Cache Valley and other parts of northern Utah, Marietti pointed to youth programs as a practical place to begin.
The Wasatch Front Football League operates in the Ogden and Cache Valley areas and extends into Preston, Idaho, while the U Conference operates from the Salt Lake area north toward North Ogden.
Marietti said those leagues give new officials an opportunity to gain repetitions before moving into sophomore, junior varsity and eventually varsity high school games.
“Those are two great programs for the Little League levels to get you started into the football officiating,” Marietti said.
Fuhriman said compensation for officiating has also increased significantly during his time in the profession as leagues and associations try to attract and retain officials.
But he said the biggest motivation remains being involved in the game.
Fuhriman recalled officiating a youth game in which a young player told him simply, “Hey, Raph, I love football.”
Years later, Fuhriman said he was working a high school playoff game at Sky View when he watched a senior player become emotional as the final seconds of his high school football career ticked away.
“It is an honor to be a part of these special moments in these kids lives,” Fuhriman said. “Those moments, those minutes in football are precious. And it’s an honor and wonderful to be a part of that.”
Marietti echoed that sentiment.
“There is no greater experience than being out on a football field on a Friday night, taking it all in from the field side, watching every fan just cheer for their team and every player play as hard as they possibly can,” he said.
More information about becoming a football official is available through the Utah High School Football Officials Association at UHSFOA.com.