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The main competitive youth soccer league here is really struggling for refs. It's probably one of the better setups for refs, in that it's compact enough that there isn't a ton of travel, the pay is decent, the league is well-organized, and the league does a decent job of having the refs' backs.
The word I'm hearing from folks I know who officiate is that the pandemic convinced a lot of the old guys to hang it up for good, and the newer people they managed to capture usually last 1 season at most before the spectator abuse convinces them they want to spend their weekends (and some weekdays) differently.
If this league is having these problems, I can't imagine what some leagues with more difficult situations (travel, pay, lack of support) are doing about officials.
My 10-year-old went to a tournament a couple of weekends ago and they only had 1 ref per game, even at the higher ages. Just not enough refs available.
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