Ask any tournament director what keeps them up at night and referees come up fast. The data tells a more nuanced story than the headlines: the shortage of high school officials is easing, while the behavior that drives officials away has not improved.
The good news: registrations are recovering
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) reported on July 29, 2026 that 37 states provided officiating registration data across eight years, and 26 of them now have more registered officials than before the pandemic. For the 2025-26 school year, registrations were up 9% from 2018-19 and 2% from the previous year. Twelve sports are above pre-pandemic levels, including girls lacrosse (up 32%), track and field and cross country (up 23%) and wrestling (up 22%).
- +9%more registered officials in 2025-26 than in 2018-19, across 37 reporting statesNFHS, July 29, 2026
- 26 of 37reporting states now above pre-pandemic registration levelsNFHS, July 29, 2026
- 68.81%of officials say sportsmanship is getting worse, up from 57.02% in 2017NASO 2023 National Officiating Survey
- 56.68average age of an official, up from 53.29 in 2017NASO 2023 National Officiating Survey
The bad news: why officials leave
The NFHS estimates that at least 50,000 officials left during the 2020-21 school year alone. The National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) surveyed 35,813 officials in 2023, roughly double its 2017 sample of 17,487. Sportsmanship was the headline: 68.81% said it is getting worse, 21.25% saw no change and 10.14% said it is getting better. More than half said they had feared for their safety at some point, and nearly 12% reported being physically assaulted during or after events.
As we learned in 2017, data drives discussion, which drives decisions.
The pipeline problem
The workforce is aging. The average official in NASO's survey was 56.68 years old, up from 53.29 in 2017, and 79% of respondents said they took on extra assignments because of shortages. The NFHS makes the same point about its own data: “Recruiting new officials will always be important, but retaining experienced officials may be even more critical.”
What a shortage looks like on the ground
On Hawaii's Big Island, the high school league's volleyball pool was down to nine referees in August 2026, against a normal 20 or more, and baseball and softball had 11 umpires combined, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Games there are being double and triple-headered, and officials travel long distances for assignments that average $75 per game.
It's a lot of hard work to cover these games. But because of the shortage, our refs get burned out and have to step away, which is a bad sign.
What operators can do
These are our suggestions, not findings from the sources.
- Publish a spectator and coach code of conduct on the registration page, and tell families what happens when it is broken.
- Have a plan for removing an unruly spectator that does not depend on the official doing it.
- Plan around double and triple-headers before they happen, and confirm official assignments early.
- Pay officials promptly and tell them in advance how they will be paid.
- Thank officials publicly. Keeping experienced ones is worth more than any recruiting drive.
For the logistics side of a weekend, see our operator's checklist for a youth tournament.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a referee shortage in youth sports?
The picture is mixed. NFHS data show high school official registrations in 26 of 37 reporting states are above pre-pandemic levels, but local leagues still report scarcity, and the NFHS estimates at least 50,000 officials left during the 2020-21 school year.
Why are referees quitting?
NASO's 2023 survey of 35,813 officials found 68.81% said sportsmanship is getting worse, more than half had feared for their safety, and nearly 12% had been physically assaulted.
How old is the average sports official?
56.68 years in NASO's 2023 survey, up from 53.29 years in 2017.
What can tournament directors do about the shortage?
In our view: publish and enforce a spectator code of conduct, plan around double and triple-headers, confirm assignments early, and pay officials promptly.
