NFHS reports increasing number of high school officials, more needed

New data released by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) last week reveals that the number of registrations of high school officials continues to grow nationwide, with many states and sports surpassing prepandemic levels.

According to the NFHS, the high school officiating shortage reached a crisis point during the COVID-19 pandemic, estimating that at least 50,000 officials left the profession during the 2020-21 school year which created a shortage that affected nearly every sport. Hundreds of contests were postponed, rescheduled or canceled in the aftermath, the NFHS said, adding that the progress seen today reflects the commitment of state associations, officials organizations, schools, athletic administrators and coaches who recognized the urgency of the challenge and took action.

Organizations including the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, NCAA and others have partnered with the NFHS to strengthen officials recruitment, improve training and emphasize retention.

In the newly released data, 37 states provided the NFHS with officiating registration figures over the past eight years, and 26 of those states report more registered officials than they had before the pandemic. For the 2025-26 school year, the 37 participating states reported an overall 9% increase in registrations compared with 2018-19 and a 2% increase compared with the previous year.

Additionally, 12 sports now exceed their prepandemic registration levels, including a 32% increase in girls lacrosse officials, a 23% increase in track and field and cross country officials and a 22% increase in wrestling officials.

However, the NFHS said that while these numbers are encouraging, they should not lead to complacency.

“Recruiting new officials will always be important, but retaining experienced officials may be even more critical,” the NFHS said.

According to a 2023 NASO survey, the average age of a high school official is 56.7 years old. The survey also showed that of its more than 35,000 respondents, 79% said they take on more assignments to help meet demand.

Meanwhile, the new NFHS data shows an 8% decrease in gymnastics officials from 2018-19 to 2025-26 as well as an 11% decrease in field hockey officials. Softball officiating numbers are flat across that time period, while baseball (1%), water polo (2%) and basketball, football and swimming (3%) have seen only slight increases.

“Those statistics remind us that today’s officials continue to shoulder tremendous responsibility,” the NFHS said. “They deserve our appreciation and our support.”