Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials

Summary

Umpires, referees, and other sports officials preside over competitive athletic or sporting events.

Quick Facts: Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
2010 Median Pay	$22,840 per year
Entry-Level Education	High school diploma or equivalent
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Long-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	19,500
Job Outlook, 2010-20	20% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	3,900

What Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Do

Umpires, referees, and other sports officials preside over competitive athletic or sporting events. They detect infractions and decide penalties according to the rules of the game.

Work Environment

Umpires, referees, and other sports officials work indoors and out, in all types of weather. They often work irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Those who work full time usually work more than 40 hours per week for several months during their sport’s season. Some officials must travel to sporting events.

How to Become an Umpire, Referee, or Other Sports Official

Education and training requirements vary by the level and type of sport. In all sports, these jobs require immense knowledge of the game, which umpires, referees, and other sports officials usually get from years of experience at lower levels. Some officiating jobs require vocational training.

Pay

The median annual wage of umpires, referees, and other sports officials was $22,840 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of umpires, referees, and other sports officials is expected to grow 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Those seeking part-time work at schools should have the best job opportunities.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of umpires, referees, and other sports officials with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about umpires, referees, and other sports officials by contacting these additional resources.

What Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials Do About this section

Umpires, referees, and other sports officials regulate play by signaling participants and other officials.

Umpires, referees, and other sports officials preside over competitive athletic or sporting events. They detect infractions and decide penalties according to the rules of the game.

Duties

Umpires, referees, and other sports officials typically do the following:

• Officiate sporting events, games, and competitions
• Judge performances in sporting competitions to determine a winner
• Inspect sports equipment and examine all participants to ensure safety
• Keep track of event times, starting or stopping play when necessary
• Signal participants and other officials when infractions occur or to regulate play or competition
• Settle claims of infractions or complaints by participants
• Enforce the rules of the game and assess penalties when necessary

In officiating at sporting events, umpires, referees, and sports officials anticipate play and put themselves where they can best see the action, assess the situation, and determine any violations of the rules.

Some sports officials, such as boxing referees, may work independently. Others, such as umpires, work in groups.

Regardless of the sport, the job is highly stressful because officials often must make split-second decisions, sometimes resulting in strong disagreement expressed by opposing team players, coaches, and spectators.

Work Environment About this section

Umpires, referees and other sports officials work indoors and out, in all types of weather.

Umpires, referees, and other sports officials held about 19,500 jobs in 2010. About 19 percent were self-employed. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials work indoors and out, in all types of weather. Some workers must travel on long bus rides to sporting events. Others, especially officials in professional sports, travel by air.

Because sports officials must observe play and often make split-second decisions, the work can be filled with pressure. In some instances, strong disagreements may take place between officials, on the one hand, and competitors and coaches, on the other, resulting in additional stress.

The following industries employed the most umpires, referees, and other sports officials in 2010:

Work Schedules

Umpires, referees, and sports officials often work irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Those who officiate sports in schools typically work part time.

How to Become an Umpire, Referee, or Other Sports Official About this section

Education and training requirements for umpires, referees, and other sports officials vary by the level and type of sport.

Education and training requirements for umpires, referees, and other sports officials vary by the level and type of sport. In all sports, these jobs require immense knowledge of the game, which they usually get from years of experience at lower levels. Some officiating jobs require vocational training.

Education and Training

Each sport has its own requirements for umpires, referees, and other sports officials; some require these officials to pass a test of their knowledge of the sport. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials often begin their careers with a high school diploma and gain needed experience by volunteering to officiate at community and recreational league competitions.

Certification

To officiate at high school athletic events, umpires, referees, and other officials must register with the state agency that oversees high school athletics and must pass an exam on the rules of the particular game. For college refereeing, candidates must be certified by an officiating school and be evaluated during a probationary period. Some larger college sports conferences require officials to have certification and other qualifications, such as maintaining a residence in or near the conference boundaries, along with several years of experience officiating at high school, community college, or other college conference games.

Advancement

For most umpires, referees, and other sports officials, reaching professional ranks is the biggest advancement. In some sports, such as baseball, umpires may begin their professional career officiating in the minor leagues before moving up to the major leagues.

Standards for umpires and other officials become more stringent as the level of competition advances. Attendance at a local or state academy may be a requirement for refereeing a school baseball game. Those seeking to officiate at minor or major league games must attend a professional umpire training school. To advance to umpiring in Major League Baseball, umpires usually need 7 to 10 years of experience in various minor leagues before being considered for major league jobs.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials must have good communication skills because they instruct athletes and settle disputes between competing players. Some sports officials also must communicate violations and infractions to opposing team players, coaches, and spectators.

Decision-making skills. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials must observe play, assess various situations, and often make split-second decisions.

Good vision. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials must have good vision to view infractions and determine any violations during play. In some sports, such as diving or gymnastics, sports officials must also be able to clearly observe an athlete’s form for imperfections.

Stamina. Because many umpires, referees, and sports officials are required to stand, walk, run, or squat for long periods, having stamina is important.

Teamwork. Because many umpires, referees, and sports officials work in teams, the ability to cooperate and come to a mutual decision is essential.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of umpires, referees, and other sports officials was $22,840 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,310, and the top 10 percent earned more than $50,350.

In May 2010, median annual wages in industries employing the largest numbers of umpires, referees, and other sports officials were as follows:

Umpires, referees, and sports officials often work irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Those who officiate sports in schools typically work part time.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of umpires, referees, and other sports officials is expected to increase 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. A larger overall population that will continue to participate in organized sports for entertainment, recreation, and physical conditioning is expected to boost demand for umpires, referees, and sports officials.

Population growth is expected to lead to more schools, and more schools should result in more jobs for sports officials. However, funding for athletic programs often is cut first when budgets become tight. Still, the popularity of interscholastic sports often enables shortfalls to be offset with assistance from fundraisers, booster clubs, and parents.

In colleges, most of the expansion is expected to be in women’s sports.

Job Prospects

Overall job prospects for umpires, referees, and sports officials are expected to be good. Job opportunities should be best for people seeking part-time umpire, referee, and other sports official jobs at the high school level.

Officials in women’s sports may have better job opportunities and face less competition for positions. Competition is expected for higher-paying jobs at the college level and will be even greater for jobs in professional sports.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about umpires, referees, and other sports officials, visit

National Association of Sports Officials