Solo umpire game fee rates across the country

[Thatsnotyou]

2 hours ago, Mudisfun said:

So Cal official HS rates are set by CIF. Last years rates were $84 varsity (mainly 2 man, occasionally 3 man) and $83 JV and below, which is almost always solo. I think they both go up a buck this year. Other baseball is typically $60-$80 per game, quite often solo. Some tournaments were $65/$70 per umpire so far this year, but many of these were 2 man. I have not heard anything about an umpire receiving 1.5 the rate for being solo... wish is was so!

We are so short on officials in So Cal at the moment... my email and phone is buzzing almost daily with assignors, TD's and even other umpires looking for guys to come out.  

What I find sad with the scarcity of officials is that the game fees have not gone up. The supply/demand cycle we are seeing in almost every other industry with prices skyrocketing is not making its way to what we do, but until as a group we say we want to be compensated better, the prices will stay where they are. 

Perspective: Water Polo refs in my area make on average $50/game with typically 2 officials. Games are 4 quarters and run roughly 45-60 minutes. Most often the officials work a minimum of 2 games, sometimes 3, (Varsity, JV and then Frosh Soph.) In 2 hours, the H2O Polo guys earn $100 or $150 in 3 hours for 3 games... walking next to a pool. Compare that to a HS BB game where we earn $84 with an indefinite end time. Maybe your game will be 1:45, or like what happened several times to me last season, over 3 hours long. 

Bottom line? Our collective rates are way too low.

 

I'm not sure anyone has it worse than baseball umpires, especially if you aren't in an ideal climate. Terribly cold or unbearably hot, no locker room, indefinite game length (most guys last year, including myself, averaged closer to 2:30 per game than 2:00), lowest per hour game rate. I think we all just want to be compensated fairly for our time/effort (plus more gear than any other sport). If you have a 4:30 game and you leave at 3:30 or so to drive a half hour, then get dressed...2:30 game length ends at 7:00...you're home at 7:30. That's 4 hours of your time, give or take. Here where I'm at, it's all for $65 (or less). That's while factoring in day job constraints, family, gas, whatever your situation may include. 

Illinois

Varsity (2 man): $65, DH $110

Non-Varsity Solo: $62, DH $106

Non-Varsity (2 man): $56, DH $100

No multiplier for games worked solo

 

 

[Mister B]

MS baseball here in OR is close to the same as HS. My Association pays $55/man for 2-man crew and $73 for solo. 

[umpstu]

7 hours ago, Mudisfun said:

So Cal official HS rates are set by CIF. Last years rates were $84 varsity (mainly 2 man, occasionally 3 man) and $83 JV and below, which is almost always solo. I think they both go up a buck this year. Other baseball is typically $60-$80 per game, quite often solo. Some tournaments were $65/$70 per umpire so far this year, but many of these were 2 man. I have not heard anything about an umpire receiving 1.5 the rate for being solo... wish is was so!

We are so short on officials in So Cal at the moment... my email and phone is buzzing almost daily with assignors, TD's and even other umpires looking for guys to come out.  

What I find sad with the scarcity of officials is that the game fees have not gone up. The supply/demand cycle we are seeing in almost every other industry with prices skyrocketing is not making its way to what we do, but until as a group we say we want to be compensated better, the prices will stay where they are. 

Perspective: Water Polo refs in my area make on average $50/game with typically 2 officials. Games are 4 quarters and run roughly 45-60 minutes. Most often the officials work a minimum of 2 games, sometimes 3, (Varsity, JV and then Frosh Soph.) In 2 hours, the H2O Polo guys earn $100 or $150 in 3 hours for 3 games... walking next to a pool. Compare that to a HS BB game where we earn $84 with an indefinite end time. Maybe your game will be 1:45, or like what happened several times to me last season, over 3 hours long. 

Bottom line? Our collective rates are way too low.

 

I enjoyed working a lot of freshman and jv games last season due to the fact of a 2.5 hour time limit.   And in our area a 2 hour time limit for conference games.

Was made aware in Sept of the water polo fees.  Wonder what volleyball officials make?

[HokieUmp]

Compared to some places I'm seeing here, I feel kinda guilty putting these numbers up.

Last spring in Texas, it was $75 for varsity, $65 for JV - but that was just the game fee part of it.  There was also a travel fee that was $15/$30/$45, based on distance.  So bare minimum was $90/$80.  (I don't remember the mileage tiers, but most of my stuff was near enough that I only hit the $30 tier a few times.)  I think there was also a 4th level - for the REALLY long hauls, of which there can be a few in this state - but I was nowhere near that, so I didn't retain that information.  Thing is, it's one travel fee, and we're usually sent either for a V/JV pair, or to a district stadium for a pair of V games.  But still solid pay.

This fall, one of the school districts is doing a MS "season" of a sort - one of the few, if not only, districts in the SA area doing it.  They're actually willing to pay $60 plus a $15 travel fee for essentially 1:45 of scrimmage time.  No lineup cards, 6 batters or 3 outs, "sub 'em if ya got 'em," coaches take whatever time they need to talk to players, etc.  The key word is "casual" - there are gonna be a lot of kids that haven't played before, so it's all about learning and getting familiar.  So it will be good money, but might be a slightly painful experience.

And for ALL of those levels, school-related?  Not ONE solo game.

 

[dumbdumb]

On 11/8/2021 at 8:50 PM, umpstu said:

I enjoyed working a lot of freshman and jv games last season due to the fact of a 2.5 hour time limit.   And in our area a 2 hour time limit for conference games.

Was made aware in Sept of the water polo fees.  Wonder what volleyball officials make?

79 in LA for volley ball, water polo 73

 

baseball 90 PU 86 BU

solo 96 which means no multiplier

[noumpere]

On 11/8/2021 at 7:50 PM, umpstu said:

I enjoyed working a lot of freshman and jv games last season due to the fact of a 2.5 hour time limit.   And in our area a 2 hour time limit for conference games.

Was made aware in Sept of the water polo fees.  Wonder what volleyball officials make?

VB:  V/JV DH, 2/3 sets, $102 for each official.

F DH or F/S DH, 2/3 sets, $104 for a solo official.

[Kevin_K]

On 11/8/2021 at 8:50 PM, umpstu said:

I enjoyed working a lot of freshman and jv games last season due to the fact of a 2.5 hour time limit.   And in our area a 2 hour time limit for conference games.

Was made aware in Sept of the water polo fees.  Wonder what volleyball officials make?

VB: V/JV DH 2/3 sets, $127 or $134 each official (2) depending on the conference; Freshman solo 2/3 sets $76.50

Volleyball Tournaments on weekends 9 to 2:30ish Varsity $300-$350; subvarsity $250-$300

[Mudisfun]

On 11/8/2021 at 5:50 PM, umpstu said:

I enjoyed working a lot of freshman and jv games last season due to the fact of a 2.5 hour time limit.   And in our area a 2 hour time limit for conference games.

Was made aware in Sept of the water polo fees.  Wonder what volleyball officials make?

2.5 hour no new inning... which still can have a JV solo game be 3 hours! But better than nothing.

BUT... on the few occasions I work them, I Jedi mind trick the coaches to at least agree to a mercy rule for JV and below... Hey, if we need it, it's there. If we don't, we don't. If we do not agree now and then this is a blow out, we are all going to be mad... They normally agree at this point and at a minimum, we have a run rule in place to stop an off the rails game.

 

[johnnyg08]

On 11/6/2021 at 8:38 PM, catsbackr said:

The fatigue factor is the primary reason I'm wanting us to work behind the mound.  We may have to do a 7th grade/8th grade DH or 9th grade/HS JV DH with 1 umpire.  Asking us to work 2 straight solo games behind the plate is not something I'm going to ask our umpires to do.

 

I'm anxious to hear from @noumpere as to why he says "Don't. Do. It."

 I think it's a safety factor too. I don't ever want a head injury...but the risk feels greater to me the younger they are. 

As for fair/foul...do the best you can if you work behind the mound. If you're working alone, there are lots of calls we make that don't give us a good look...but I look at percentages...the one, maybe two fair/fouls in an entire game to have been angles/distances for the bases behind the mound...and not risking head injuries...if I'm going to work those, I'm not going behind the plate for the youth stuff.

[johnnyg08]

And yes...time limits a must for the youth stuff.

[catsbackr]

Thank you to everyone for their input, it really helped the decisions our association made.

[cjroman]

Our 2022 rates just came out and for singles we are $120 for varsity, $110 for JV, and $100 for middle school. 

[Skools64]

South Carolina is 65 Varsity and  54 JV/Middle school. Jv Middle school is 2 hour drop dead. Also get .45 cents each way for mileage. 

There is also a minimum with mileage. Varsity is 74 and JV Middle school is 61. For me I will make around  $80 for a middle school/JV game and around $92 for a Varsity.