How Much Money Can I Make? revised 08/14/04
| Referee Classification | Average Games for Year | Average Per Game Fee | Total Pay for Year |
| First Year | 35 | $37 | $1295 |
| 2nd through 4th Year | 45 | $37 | $1665 |
| 5th Year and Up | 50 | $37 | $1850 |
| UOA negotiates contracts with several youth football associations in any given year. We have a longstanding relationship with the Georgia Youth Football Conference (GYFC) which tends to make the biggest demand on our manpower. But we also have relationships with other organizations such as several middle schools for whom we do sub-varsity games. Based on the contracts we negotiate with each of these sports groups, we pay out the vast majority of what we take in as game fees for our officials. |
| Let's look at a typical situation for a new official just coming into UOA. This person will most often work on Saturdays, only. He will most frequently be assigned to the "lower" tier of GYFC games which is known as the Metro division. But to be sure the new official is being properly seasoned, almost all first year officials get assigned to a couple of "upper" division (Division I) schedules during their first year. |
| A typical Division I Saturday will include 4 Division I games (played in the afternoon and evening) and 1 or 2 Metro games (played at the same park in the morning). A typical all-Metro schedule will include anywhere from 3 to 6 games at the same park on a Saturday; most often there will be 4 or 5 games. So a typical first year official will work 4 or 5 games per Saturday. We pay everyone the same for every game done for GYFC, regardless of position worked. In some years our contracts will specify differences in rates of pay for different positions worked (like Electric Clock Operator at 1/2 the rate of other positions) or differences between rates for divisions of play (metro vs. Division I). Other than these possible differences, from the time the new official first steps on the field with UOA, he is paid at the same rate as any other official, regardless of experience, longevity in UOA or any other position he might hold within the organization. |
| Anyway, to take the example a bit further, the typical first year official can expect to draw an assignment about 75% of the available dates. We do favor folks who have been around longer with the organization when it comes to making assignments. As a bare minimum, you should expect to work at least 50% of our schedule. And in a good year, you might well work 100% of the regular season schedule. In this regard, the better on-field impression you make, the better your chances of working more. There are no "hard and fast" rules here. But we are well aware that you're making a major investment of your time to be trained. We do the best we can to honor that investment with game assignments commensurate to your demonstrated abilities. We were all first year officials once. We know what it is like. We know you want to be on the field just as much as your legs will let you. |
| The regular season is typically 10 weeks long. If you work 7 of these weeks, 5 games per week and if our payment structure works out to $37.00 per game (that should be close), you will do 35 games at $37.00 each for a total of $1,295.00 for the season. Take out dues of $75.00 and uniform costs of $280.00 and you will net about $940.00 cash in your first full season. |
| In subsequent seasons, you will work closer and closer to 100% of the time, lets say 90% on the average. Also you will begin to work more of the higher classification games; the pay is a little more for these games.So you'd work close to 45 games at about $37.00 each ($1665.00) less dues $75.00 and much lower uniform costs, say $75.00 in an average year (for replacement items, only). So in your second year, you will make closer to $1515.00, net. You might fall just a little short of this in your 2nd year; but for a 3rd or 4th year man, 90% assignments is probably low. |
| Finally, after about your 5th year (but mostly based on your demonstrated ability, not your seniority), you'll be getting mostly higher classification games and work close to 100% of the time if you don't take any voluntary "out dates." That comes to about 50 games at $37.00/game or $1850.00. Taking out uniform expenses and dues, you'll still net about $1700.00 for the season. |
| You can see that you'll not get rich at this activity. If you need the money that badly, better to take a "real" second job. But if you love the game of football and you think you'd like to work with a bunch of guys who definitely do love it, UOA is for you. All you need to do from here is fill out the application form, and we'll do the rest! |