Refs needed for youth football

By JAMES TUBB on September 15, 2021.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

The need for football referees in Medicine Hat is getting desperate.

The Medicine Hat Tackle Football Association is looking for people to sign up and become refs as soon as possible. Between work commitments and COVID-19 uncertainties, the local football organization has seen a gradual loss of referees to the point that there are only five for all football in the city.

“Not to call it a crisis, but we are having significant challenges right now,” said local referee Anthony Donner.

Between the three high schools and the youth level, there are a lot of games to officiate. Each game requires at least three refs, and Donner says high school games alone require five-to-six refs – their entire staff.

Anyone interested in officiating is asked to go to the Medicine Hat Tackle Football Association’s Facebook page and give their name and contact info. Donner says they will reach out and get the person started.

Donner says that they will work with any experience level and won’t throw anyone into high school games immediately. His hope is they get a couple people to commit to the peewee/bantam level this fall to get their feet wet. That way, he says they could build a core of refs back up so in the future they can have “a solid group of individuals.”

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