Officials needed to keep Jim Wells County football games going

Friday night football in Jim Wells County can only stay on schedule if enough trained officials show up, and the shortage facing South Texas could mean delayed kickoffs, rescheduled games or thinner crews for sub-varsity and varsity contests.

The South Texas Football Officials Association says it provides officiating services for sub-varsity and varsity football games in Corpus Christi and the surrounding area, a footprint that reaches deep into the same regional school calendar Jim Wells County depends on each fall. The bigger problem is statewide. The Texas Association of Sports Officials says Texas has more than 160 local chapters and 16,000-plus members, but it also says the state is facing a growing shortage of officials as population growth adds more schools and more games to cover.

That shortage is why TASO has pushed its STaRT program, short for Students Today are Referees Tomorrow, to recruit high school and college student-athletes who want to stay in the game after their playing days. The organization says the best recruiting pool often includes graduating seniors who already know football and can move into officiating with the right training. For anyone thinking about joining, TASO’s Officiating 101 class is designed as a kick-start into a local chapter, with classroom sessions, one on-field session and a $40 cost to get started.

The path is not just about showing up with a whistle. University Interscholastic League rules require a varsity official to be registered with UIL, be in good standing with a recognized local chapter or association, and complete education and background-check steps. TASO also says continuing education is required for varsity assignment, which is part of why filling the pipeline matters before the season gets crowded. In South Texas, the need has already been visible before. In 2023, STFOA said it serviced 48 schools in the region and held a recruitment event on July 31 ahead of a season already dealing with an officials shortage.

For Jim Wells County, the stakes are simple: without enough certified adults on the field, the Friday night schedule becomes harder to protect. The recruitment push is not about a niche sideline job. It is about keeping school football organized, on time and available for the athletes, coaches and families who build their week around it.