Shortage of referees leaves TSSAA officials with many questions

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - High school football practice has just begun here in East Tennessee. That means teams all over are beginning their championship run; however, there is one major issue. There’s a referee shortage.

This shortage has left TSSAA officials with many questions, such as which games to send these officials.

Rob McConkey, a referee entering his 20th season, said, “A couple of weekends in the year, we’re going to have 16 games scheduled. And we’ve got 13 crews in Knoxville, so that’s a problem. So, it would require some creativity.”

One discussed solution is moving some games to Thursday night instead of Friday night. While this is not a preferred method, this shortage may leave officials with no choice.

“You can’t have the games in high school without the officials. So, they need us. We need more people to come out and join our ranks and help us staff these games.”

The TSSAA is looking for referees and will hold a training session on July 25 at 6 p.m. at West High School inside the mini auditorium.

If you think you’ve got what it takes, contact Harold Denton, TSSAA Supervisor - Knoxville TNRef4e@icloud.com at 865-256-1948