Assignor Fees

[grayhawk]

I think that arbiter helps out the assignors much more than it helps out the umpires and so the assignors should pay for it and not the umpires.

 

It's worth it to me to keep my schedule consolidated.  This way, I don't have to go in and block my schedule when I get games assigned.  When we join associations that use Arbiter, and pay a fee to be a member, I would guess that some of that fee is applied to the cost of Arbiter.

 

In magic's case, if he assigns me 15 games per year at an average of $60 per game, then I make $900.  I would then pay him $10 for Arbiter and $2 per game which would total $40.  Seems very fair to me because otherwise I am not getting these games.  He has the relationships and spends the time assigning the games.

[Magic]

I think that arbiter helps out the assignors much more than it helps out the umpires and so the assignors should pay for it and not the umpires.

Although I do agree that it helps me with the umpires availability, I spend quite a bit of time trying to set everything up for the umpires. It is not a very easy process. Initially I didn't charge anything to the umpires. I was doing it as a convenience because my friends were all getting cut out of baseball in summer and winter. So the first year I think I assigned 50 games. This year I will probably assign somewhere around 600 games. So 28 umpires is what I have currently. They will each average 20 games for the offseason. 20 games at $60/game. They will make $1200 and pay me $50 of it. I think that is pretty fair. I didn't want to get Arbiter. But a bunch of the guys wanted me to start using it. So I did. And I think they are all thrilled that I am using it now. I have not got one complaint from any one of them.

[retired-ump]

UPDATE..............

IRS Rev. Rul. 67-119

(This is only a short portion of the above IRS rulling.

Advice has been requested whether, for Federal employment tax purposes, officials of athletic contests, for example, referees and umpires, are employees of an association through which their services are offered to various schools, including the members of a statewide high school athletic
league.

The association is a nonprofit, self-governing organization. Its purpose is to train and develop contest officials and to maintain a booking office for high schools, preparatory schools, and others desiring the services of the officials. Its membership consists entirely of officials who pay annual membership dues to, and participate in the operation of, the association. The association receives an annual booking fee from each school using its services.

 

Note:

The only state association that follows the above ruling about booking fee is North Carolina, $100 per varsity school, $75 per JV school, via contract or agreement.  No portion of contest fee is paid by the official to the booking agent (assignor, assignment secretary, etc).

 

RETIRED-UMP