By David Rogers, CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Hoping to avoid a strike by basketball officials on Jan. 1, at its winter meetings on Dec. 1, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association board of directors voted to increase pay for officials in all sports by 10 percent (rounded up to the nearest dollar), effective Jan. 1.
In addition, the board also eliminated the so-called “doubleheader” structure where officials doing more than one game received a discounted fee for working a second game (on the same night).
In a third related action regarding compensation, the board voted to eliminate the current provision for a five percent increase every four years and instead replaces it with a biannual review of officiating fees across all sports.
The motion passed unanimously, 19-0.
The current schedule of fees is rather complex, with different levels of compensation for different sports, as well as different amounts for varsity vs. junior varsity competitions.
The relevant section of the by-laws detailing current fees can be found HERE.
Whether the steps taken by the NCHSAA board of directors will be sufficient to avoid the rumored strike by a reported 800 basketball officials in January is yet to be seen. While the percentage increase was not as much as the reported 12+ percent increase desired by the officials, the elimination of the doubleheader discount goes may sway the current officials’ opinions and keep them on the court.
The board actions did not seem to address concern realized by the ad hoc officiating committee’s survey of officials that the vast majority would like to see increased representation of the officials in the conduct of NCHSAA business. The third primary concern was about the level of sportsmanship at games and spectator abuse suffered by officials. There was a statement that the current steps being taken are working and that they would continue those.
The Officiating Committee also advanced a proposal that in junior varsity baseball games, no new innings would be started after two hours of elapsed time from the beginning of play. The objective was to shorten the games which typically precede varsity contests. The motion passed, 10-8.
There is a strong conviction among the board members that a priority is creating a safe environment for students and staff in education-based athletics. Toward that end, the board passed a regulation requiring members of the media to have passed a background check either by the employing outlet or, if an independent such as High Country Sports, submit to and pay for an NCHSAA initiated background check, before being granted NCHSAA credentials.
Other selected issues discussed and decisions made (not a complete list):
- The board is preparing to forward a proposal to member schools’ principals that would expand the number of classifications (1A, 2A, 3A and 4A, currently) from four to seven, in hopes of eliminating some of the disparities in ADM (a school’s average daily members, or enrollment).
- They passed a resolution to expand the dual team tennis playoffs.
- There was some clarifying language added to the volleyball handbook.
- New golf regulations to speed up play and improve time constraints by imposing a maximum score of triple bogey on any individual hole.
- Set an $8 ticket price for women’s wrestling regional tournaments.
- Passed a proposal to form a separate foundation for managing the NCHSAA’s endowment fund.
- Rejected a proposal to institute a 35-second shot clock in basketball.
The above is not a complete list of board actions, but a sampling to provide an idea of the work vy the board of directors over three days of meetings.
