Preseason show will go on
Broward Football Officials Association votes to work games
Preseason games in Broward County will go on as scheduled, according to Broward County Athletic Association president Shawn Cerra and Broward Football Officials Association president Phil Serfass.
Referees in Broward were threatening to join protests by Palm Beach and Lee county officials over a pay dispute, the but the BFOA voted Monday to work the games.
“Preseason games will happen
in Broward,” Serfass said.
Officials from the East Coast Football Officials Association, which is made up of Palm Beach County referees, and the South Gulf Football Officials Association, which covers Lee County, have not come to an agreement with their districts, according to ECFOA president Travelle Northern and SGFOA president John Mantica.
Those officials still may sit out the preseason games, which are scheduled for Aug. 14-17.
Northern said he plans to speak further with district officials today and then speak to his organization Wednesday to determine their course of action.
The dispute stems from the referee associations’ demands for higher game fees. The Florida High School Athletic Association sets a cap on what districts can pay officials for each game they work. The current cap is set at $65.
“They cap the officials fees for all sports at all levels,” Serfass said. “As independent contractors, we don’t feel that that is appropriate. We should be allowed to negotiate with our own district or districts, in some cases, to set an appropriate game fee along with other fees, including travel and administrative costs.”
Officials asked the FHSAA in the summer for a $10 raise in the cap and for the creation of a new officials committee that could standardize administrative rates and other fees across the state. The FHSAA rejected raising the cap.
Serfass said since coming to Florida in 2003, there have been two raises in the game fees.
“Florida has fallen well below it’s neighboring states: Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama,” Serfass said. “And we think it’s time they seriously address the issue and bring us up to a competitive rates to match our neighboring states because the quality of the sport in Florida is as good, if not better, than in those locations.”
A committee, created by the FHSAA and made up of officials, athletic directors and administrators, is meeting on Aug. 26 to try to work out a resolution for the 2020-21 school year.
“Solutions to problems take time, especially when finances are involved,” the FHSAA said in a released statement. “This is why there is a task force in place that is meeting this month at their earliest availability, not ‘talking about it next year.’
“This task force, made up of all parties involved, will help develop a resolution for for the 2020 season and beyond. This resolution will be announced by Dec. 31 and will give our beloved officials, member institutions and school districts a blueprint for the next 5-10 years.”
Cerra spoke to the BFOA members at their meeting on Monday night, and he told the referees that he would work to support their demands in the future if they agreed to officiate this year’s games. The officials agreed and voted to register with the FHSAA so they could work the games next week.
“We have what we view as a champion supporter behind us in Shawn Cerra,” Serfass said. “He seems to be somebody who will go the extra yard for us and participate and actively move the discussion to achieve the goal that we’re looking for.
“That’s something that we didn’t know we had when we were talking about sitting out.”
Cerra said he doesn’t anticipate any disruption in Broward football games going forward. He said he will work with the association to improve their pay.
“As a school district and as a governing body of officials, we’re going to work collaboratively to make sure that we get every game played,” Cerra said.
Although the BFOA agreed to work this year’s preseason and regular-season games, he said that if fees were not raised, officials could consider sitting out next season.
“The games will go on for now, but if that issue isn’t addressed in a meaningful way, then we’re going to be back in this same situation next year,” Serfass said.