THANKLESS could not begin to describe the job that referees do, so much so that not many know about the measly salary these officials get every game.
That further came to light following the SPIN.ph report on the UAAP's decision to re-allocate funds which benefitted those who make calls for the men's division.
READ: Referees call foul on pay gap between UAAP men's, women's games
Under the new structure, officials who get drawn to call men's games will be paid P3,000, while those for women's matches will only get P2,000.
As for the juniors division, those blowing the whistle for boys' games will get P2,500, as those for girls' games will receive P2,000.
It's a stark contrast from seasons past when all officials, regardless of division, were paid P2,500 per game.
In comparison, the NCAA pays P3,500 for international referees (IR) and P3,000 for national referees (NR).
The PBA pays P3,000 per game to its officials, who also receive monthly salary as employees of the league.
And remember, getting the call-up to officiate the game also isn't guaranteed, as referees are randomly drawn before games.
"Bunutan yan from a referees pool. Kaya masasabi mong swertehan pa rin. Kaya nga gusto rin ng iba yung fixed kasi kahit may pito ka o wala, alam mong may take home ka," a referee said under the condition of anonimity.
That request to stay behind the shadows isn't surprising, with leagues reminding their referees to take a step back from the limelight and allow full focus to be on players and teams.
Other leagues, though, pay even less, as officials may receive a rate as low as P700, forcing them to call multiple games in a single game day, while also acting as table officials in between.
Fair officiating
Unlike in seasons past, the UAAP does not have exclusivity with its referees, meaning those who call games may also work for other leagues.
Although it looks fine at the surface level, it may impact the integrity of officiating. For example, one referee who may have had a bad call and was sanctioned by the UAAP can take solace knowing that even if one serves one's suspension, other leagues can still tap one for one's services.
READ: Referees of contentious Adamson-UP game suspended by UAAP
This lack of exclusivity may also lead to problems heading to the postseason where the best referees are expected to be called up to officiate games.
"Officiating should still be based on merits. Hindi naman porket IR ka eh mas magaling ka na sa NR," the source continued.
For reference, IRs pertain to officials who are tapped to whistle for FIBA-sanctioned competitions, approved by the SBP through technical academy head Andrew Teh.
Currently, there are only seven IRs in the country, while there are 50 NRs.
Also note that referees can lose their IR status, in the same light as NRs can be promoted to IRs, as new licenses are given by FIBA for every two-year period.
Given the situation, officials remain steadfast in their commitment to call games down the middle regardless of the league and regardless of the pay.
"Automatic na yun sa referees na wala silang pinapanigan. Of course, hindi lahat ng tawag is maipipito and meron din namang human error, but at the end of the day, pantay-pantay lang ang tawagan lagi," the source ended.
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