How much do college basketball referees get paid

How Much Do NCAA Referees Make? (Quick Answer)

Referees are a huge part of sports. While their main objective is to regulate the game, the ref’s goal is to go relatively unnoticed in their efforts to control the pace and rules of the game. We all know, however, that sometimes they have to make tough calls that could swing the game one way or the other. 

For all of that responsibility, including staying in shape in order to keep up with these world-class athletes, they must be compensated pretty nicely right? 

An NCAA basketball referee is compensated pretty nicely for their efforts, although the pay range for every working official varies between $10,000 to over $200,000 per season.

Why are the salaries so different, and what does their schedule look like to get such a hefty salary? We will cover all of that and more below.

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Breaking Down Referee Schedules

An interesting aside on the referee lifestyle is that most of them have a full-time job on top of their officiating gigs. In a world where sports is everything, it is worthy of reminding yourself that these guys (and gals) usually come from another job to make some of the most crucial calls during a college basketball season. 

Sports Illustrated did a piece on legendary referee John Higgins and his enormous workload. At one point during the season, Higgins traveled 4,800 miles in three days while reffing three different games! In the piece, Higgins called himself a “professional traveler” and joked that the games he refs was the easy part of his job. Oh yeah, Higgins owns and operates two businesses on top of reffing.

In a roughly 5-month NCAA basketball season, most refs officiate between 70-100 games. That breaks down into up to 20 games per month! Referees make their own schedules meaning they can officiate as many (to an extent) or as few contests that they want. The only catch is that if you turn games down, you may get called less to officiate.

This makes referees independent contractors which means no benefits from the NCAA. If they hurt themselves or have to take time off from the sport, they are not compensated in any way. No pensions and definitely no health coverage if they go down on the job. Most referees use their full-time jobs as methods of retirement and health insurance and roll the dice out on the court.

Referee Pay Breakdown

While the top-tier refs make up to $2,000 for a regular-season game, their counterparts in the smaller conferences aren’t so lucky. The average salary for NCAA refs across the board is only $33,000, before taxes. It seems like a lot of hassle for that amount of money, but many in the business simply love it enough to make the sacrifices.

Referees in a small conference can still make up to $50,000 doing a better side gig than washing cars or delivering pizzas. Also, just because they aren’t playing or coaching, being assigned to a big game is a rush for the officials too.

Power conference refs – those in the ACC, Big East, SEC, Big 12, Pac 12, and Big 10 – can pull in up to $2,000 per game and free travel and hotel expenses. Their jobs are higher profile which leads to more scrutiny on the media and fans’ parts, but big time refs can’t complain about the pay.

If you are lucky enough to be selected to ref in the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament, you will get around $1,000 per game. NCAA Regional games will get you $1,400 a game and Final Four contests are worth about $2,000. 

How Much Do Other Refs Make?

NCAA Football

NCAA basketball is the second most popular college sport behind football, so you might be wondering how much their refs make. It is no secret the millions of dollars college football brings in each year, so even though their season is one third of an NCAA basketball season, the referees still do very well.

The averages are fairly similar, albeit the college football officials workload is significantly less. College football refs make between $11,000 and $300,000 per year. Newer officials in the power conferences can take home around $800 per game. Their travel and expenses are usually covered as well.  

NBA Referees

The life of an NBA ref is much different than a college hoops official. 

Reffing at the professional level is a full-time seven-month out of the year job. With 82-game seasons for all 30 NBA teams, not including preseason and the playoffs, an NBA referee could be on the road up to 25 days a month. You may be thinking, “I’ll take a seven month a year job!” The NBA schedule, however, is no joke and can take a huge toll on a referee’s body. 

Luckily they are compensated nicely. 

An entry-level NBA official makes $600 per game and can bring home around $250,000 a year. Once you move up, your pay increases. Senior officials can make up to a half-million dollars a year! You also get ranking bonuses as a ref, based on your performances throughout the year. Essentially, if you are good at your job, you get paid more on top of your per-game salary. Read more from our NBA refs salary article.

Also Read: How to Become an NBA Referee in 9 Steps

Below are some other referee salary numbers in case you are curious:

• Major League Baseball umpires: Approximately $300,000/year
• NFL referees: Approximately $205,000/year
• NHL referees: Approximately $275,000/year

Final Thoughts

While being a referee has plenty of drawbacks – the scrutiny and harassment you can get on a nightly basis jumps out first – you are being compensated quite nicely for your troubles.

By design, referees are behind the scenes as much as possible. It makes what they do a mystery, especially in NCAA basketball. They seem to just show up out of nowhere, officiate the game, and then disappear as fast as they came. No publicity, no pre and post-game press conferences. Nothing. Hopefully you learn a bit more about their schedules and salary from this piece.

Have you ever known a big-time college or professional referee? What did they have to say about their schedules and pay? Let us know in the comments section below!

How Much Do NBA Refs Make? – Basketball Officials' Salaries

NBA referees are arguably the best officials in the world, but their pay pales in comparison to that of top-flight pro players.

Where elite NBA players can make up to $50 million annually, pro basketball officials are estimated to earn between $200,000-550,000 per year, plus travel reimbursements and a courtside seat for games.

But getting to the NBA is hard as there are thousands of basketball referees across North America and across the planet, so the chances of ever reaching the top end of the salary bracket are slim.

From the big leagues to lower levels, here’s a breakdown of how basketball officials are compensated.

There are about 80 on-court officials in the NBA, and as many as three work each of the 1,230 regular-season games and playoffs.

The lead official is the crew chief, and he or she is joined by two umpires that keep control of the game.

Veteran NBA crew chiefs make upwards of $550,000 per year — paid out to about $7,000 per game over about 80 games per regular season.

The best of the best earn playoff assignments, which could net them an additional $9,000 per game, and if they are chosen for NBA Finals games that pay could jump by threefolds.

Less experienced NBA umpires can still make six figures but more like $3,000 per game.

These officials still receive first-class travel arrangements, hotel reimbursements and per diem. Plus they still get to be on the floor for NBA games.

Officials have been covered by a union, the NBA Referees Association (NBRA), since 1973.

In 2017, the union expanded to cover officials of the NBA G League and WNBA.

WNBA officials make about $500 per game and nearly $200,000 per season. G League officials make less than that.

The NBA also relies on replay, which means it needs officials at its video operations room in Secaucus, New Jersey each night.

Those operators make about $21 per hour, according to Glassdoor.

The NBA is the majors, but where do the pros pull their talent from?

College, of course.

Officials of college games are not covered by unions but still can make more than six figures — around $2,500 per game in major conferences like the Big East, Big Ten or Big XII — according to Sapling.

Though college basketball plays far fewer games than the pros do, which means the earning potential is less in college even though the per-game cost can be more.

The median income for a college basketball official is about $36,000, with food and travel expenses reimbursed, which is a nice income supplement for those who officiate college or professional football games in the fall — former NFL referee and current CBS commentator Gene Steratore and current NFL official Bill Vinovich each have officiated college basketball games during their offseason.

Those who are chosen to officiate NCAA Tournament games can make $1,000 per game more, or $2,000 per game if they reach the Final Four.

There are thousands of girls’ and boys’ basketball games played every day, including high school, AAU, youth and even adult men’s leagues. These games need officials too as tempers flare up and the sport doesn’t police itself.

For high school games the pay is less, but still can be lucrative, particularly as a side job on nights and weekends.

Officials for AAU games can make $70 apiece. High-end high school refs can make between $40-$60 per game, according to Dunkorthree.com, and on weekends could officiate two or more games per day

Youth referees can make a little less than high-school refs, roughly $30 per game, but again can work multiple games per day to boost their earnings.

So now you know how much basketball officials make, why not find out how much NHL referees make too?

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Sports professions. PartⅠ-Referee Edition II "Basketball referee

Due to the rapid development of basketball, the position of an arbitrator in this game, and especially a qualified master of his craft, is always in demand. If you want to know more about the profession, read the article!

Small introduction

Knowing how to play basketball is good, but in order to understand and understand all the nuances of the game, you need to go to the basketball referee school.Only there you can learn, and in the future, correctly perceive the referee's gestures, as well as look at the game with their independent eyes. At the same time, basketball will cease to be a game of a beloved and someone else's team, words of praise for the work done will be replaced by outbursts of anger and booing of fans, before your eyes there will be not a ring into which you need to throw the ball, but a set of basketball laws, from where one by one you need to draw out the appropriate rule for a particular situation on the parquet, and it takes years for this process to become automatic. practice and constant training.

How to apply for an arbitrator position?

At the moment there are many basketball refereeing schools, the doors of which are open to everyone and fans of this sport. First of all, this is due to the lack of personnel in the globally growing game. It is best to start your career with 15-16 years old . You can later, but then it will be difficult to gain the necessary experience. FIBA ​​ has established a limit for qualifying as an international referee under 35 years of age. Although the age of some basketball referees exceeds 50 However, it is better to start early for a successful career.

In order to take part in refereeing city and regional championships, you need to have a referee license. It is issued for one year and after successfully passing the basketball rules test and the Metronome general physical fitness test.

Where does a career start?

Talented personnel in basketball are required everywhere and there are practically no problems with employment. But you will have to develop your abilities first from judging children's, youth, and then adult city competitions. With an increase in the amount of accumulated experience, the council of the regional federation on a competitive basis can recommend for the championships of the regional level. Aphorism "Training hard, fighting easy" applies to a basketball referee as it should be. After all, the weaker the level of the game, the more difficult it is to judge. It's all about preparation - a less technically savvy athlete allows more marriage - hence there are more violations. Only daily work on yourself: studying the rules, consulting and discussing controversial and interesting points in the game with other referees, can give you a chance to get into such leagues as VTB and FIBA ​​. There is a lot of methodological material on the Internet for this, various video lessons, recordings from referee seminars.

Basketball referee salary!

Hmm... If we take the basketball federations of Ukraine and Russia, then this issue is not so simple. The bottom line is that the referee's salary should be paid by the state association, but in fact the money comes to him from the clubs participating in the championship. In this regard, the arbitrators have no social. packages and pension, as such. And the fees themselves remain in the shadows. Hence the question: how honest are the referees, whose salary depends on the teams?

Salary of the Chief Referee of the Ukrainian Super League - 800 dollars per match.

The salary of the chief referee of the European League - 500 dollars per match.

In NBA everything is much simpler, more transparent, and the amounts are more impressive:

• the contract of the novice referee is 200 thousand dollars a year;

• The contract of senior arbitrators with experience reaches 550 thousand dollars per year.

Per game playoff referee in NBA can receive from 4,500 to 25,000 dollars, it all depends on the stage of the match in the tournament - from the first to the final.

Nuances of this profession

If you have reached the level of a professional and refereeing has ceased to be a hobby, then you probably already know how basketball referees live. And if only at the beginning of your career path, then this spoiler is for you.

Referees spend most of their lives away from home. About 3.5 weeks a month they take trips from city to city, from hall to hall. During this time, they manage to serve from 12 to 15 basketball games. It's also interesting to know that referees rarely sleep at night. After the game, they sort out mistakes and unclear situations, and many communicate with other referees, discussing each other's matches. Referees sleep more during the daytime and get up a couple of hours before the game. A true professional refereeing a match always struggles with doubts about the correctness of his refereeing. And only after reviewing the game, drawing conclusions and sorting out the mistakes, he can sleep peacefully. You can't always be right, but you can strive for it!

Basketball referee - conductor with a cool head

Why did I choose this title for the article? The answer is simple. In the hall where the basketball game takes place, the stands are located in close proximity to the site, which does not impress much in size. And the judge hears everything that the audience shouts. Therefore, the pressure on the referee is higher than anywhere else. But the truth remains that no matter how loud the indignant cries around are, the referee on the floor makes the right decisions a thousand times more often than he makes mistakes. And guided by this, a true professional will turn all the appeals of the public into white noise, and the indignation of the players and coaches into elements of silent cinema.

In conclusion, I will quote the words of one basketball referee:

"A mistake does not turn me into an amateur, does not make me a layman. It only means that I am human."

High School Basketball Rules

There are many points in the rules of high school basketball that make the game an educational experience as well as a sports competition. In high school basketball, the emphasis is on learning to work together as a team, but it can also be a teenager's chance to get noticed by college and professional scouts.

Basketball rules and regulations

B The National Federation of Associations of Public High Schools (NFHS) is the national organization that oversees high school sports. Their rules, which are updated annually, set the standard for competitive high school basketball and are available on Amazon in e-book format for about $7. High school basketball rules differ in many ways from college and NBA games.

Basketball Sizes

At all levels of basketball for boys over 12 or men, the standard ball size is 29.5 inches in circumference. Women and girls over 12 at all levels use a 28.5-inch ball.

Duration of game

School teams are allowed to play four eight-minute quarters in one game. Men's varsity basketball plays two twenty-minute halves and women's varsity basketball plays four ten-minute periods. The NBA plays four twelve-minute periods.

Timeouts

A timeout is a break in the game during which the clock stops for a short period to allow teams to change players, strategize or give players a quick rest.

• There are three 60-second and two 30-second timeouts per game in the school game. They may be requested by the player or the head coach and, if both teams are ready, the time-out may be reduced.
• If more time-outs are requested in the high school, the team receives a technical foul.
• In college play, three 30-second and one 60-second time-outs are allowed if the game is played in front of the media, or four 75-second time-outs and two 30-second time-outs if the game is not covered by the media.
• Instead of a technical foul for additional requests for a time-out, men's college basketball allows two shots at the time of interruption, and women's college ball allows two shots and a loss of the ball.
• NBA teams receive seven 60-second timeouts per game and one 20-second timeout.

Legal position of the guard

The defending player is in legal guarding position when he has both feet on the ground and is face to face with the attacker. The legal position can be set anywhere on the court in high school. In college and the NBA, the exception is that the defensive back cannot take the original legal guarding position in the four-foot restricted area under the basket while attempting to call an offensive foul.

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Technical fouls

A technical foul is called when a player, team or coach commits an act of unsportsmanlike conduct or a foul that does not involve physical contact between players on the court.

• During a high school basketball game, two free throws are allowed and after a technical foul is called, the team gets possession of the ball. The game is restarted with a throw-in of the opponent in front of the table.
• In college ball play, two free throws are allowed and play resumes from where it was stopped.
• For women's college ball, a technical foul also results in the loss of the ball.
• At all levels, a player with two technical fouls in the same game for unsportsmanlike conduct will be ejected from the game.
• In the NBA, players must pay a penalty for every technical foul.

Airborne Shooter

During a school game, a shooter is airborne if he or she is airborne after attempting a shot or pressing. The Men's Collegiate Ball has no rules, while the Women's Collegiate Ball is the same as in high school.

Close guard

To be well guarded, the defender must be within 6 feet of the attacker. During a high school game, a hard defense is called if a player holds or dribbles the ball in the frontcourt six feet away. The student ball has the same rule, but only for holding and not for dribbling.

Post Play

Post-play describes the action of an attacker holding the ball with their back to the basket. High school players cannot use the extended grip during post-game. College players are allowed to use the forearm.

Jump ball

A dropped ball is when the referee tosses the ball into the air to start or restart play and then two opposing players attempt to gain control of the ball. Any re-jump in high school must be done by players who participated before team control was established. In college, any two players can re-jump.

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Three Second Rule

High school players and students are allowed to keep one foot on the lane while the other is in the air to avoid a three second infraction. In the women's college shot, both feet must be on the court outside the free throw line.

Ten Second Rule

Starting from the backcourt, when time starts when the player is in control of the ball, the team has ten seconds to cross the midcourt line. In college, the ball starts with a proper touch of the dropped ball.

Game Disqualification

During a high school game, players are disqualified after the fifth or second technical foul. The head coach is disqualified after the third direct or indirect foul or the second direct technical foul. During the men's varsity ball, disqualification occurs after the fifth personal foul, including direct and intentional fouls.

Administrative Warnings

In high school basketball, administrative warnings may be issued to coaches for a variety of minor infractions, including entering the court without permission, disrespecting an official, standing on the team bench, or violating a coaching bench rule. In college, the only administrative warning is issued to the head coach for being outside the coaching booth or for special tactics of delaying the game.

Uniform High School Basketball Rules

Players are issued standard shorts with a team-colored jersey to be worn during all competitive play.

• Shirts for home games must be white, while away games use dark colors clearly distinct from white.
• The body of the jersey must be solid, not patterned.
• The jersey number must be visible from the front and back and the color must be the same. It must be at least 4 inches high in the front and 6 inches in the back.
• Jersey Umber can range from 00 to 15, 20 to 25, 30 to 35, 40 to 45, and 50 to 55. not covering the player's number.
• All shirts must have the same sleeve length.
• Headgear for medical or religious reasons may be permitted subject to documentary evidence provided to officials at each game.
• Players are not allowed to take off their jerseys or trousers within sight of the playing court.

Sportsmanship and Playing Etiquette

Sportsmanship and adherence to the rules are taken seriously at all levels of basketball.

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• Addressing officials - Only the head coach of a team should communicate with game officials at the school prom.
• Fighting - in a school game, fighting results in an immediate ejection from the game. At the college level, elimination of team coaches and players begins with a one-game suspension followed by a season's suspension for repeated conduct.
• Medical - A player who passes out during a high school basketball game cannot return to the game without permission from a doctor. There is no such mandatory rule for college basketball.

Official Rule Changes

When managing organizations review their rules and any issues that arise, they often find ways to refine the rules, update them, or completely change them.

• Extra class time in high school is four minutes, while in college and in the NBA it is five minutes.
• Basketball referees must be on the court fifteen 15 minutes before the start of the game. In men's college basketball, the referee must be on the floor 20 minutes before kickoff.
• There are no rules regarding the use of the shot clock, stopwatch and substitutions when there is less than one minute or less left in the second half or extra time.
• Trainer's box now has a maximum of 28 feet, up from 38 feet in college.
• Video recording is allowed for the coaching staff during the high school basketball game. In collegiate ball games, videotaping is only illegal on the court.
• Playback monitor is not allowed during high school basketball game. This is not so for the student game.

High School Basketball Rules - Areas of Difference

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) oversees college basketball rules, while the NBA has its own rule book. High school basketball rules differ from college and NBA rules in the following areas:

• Differences in games - Physical environment and length of play
• Team building and succession - Uniforms
• Basketball rules and regulations - time-outs, fouls, defensive play
• Sportsmanship and game etiquette
• Referees - judges on the court , stopwatch and stopwatch.

Join the Game

The first step to becoming a great high school basketball player is to learn the rules.

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