Paying Refs and Techs
A lot of field owners wonder about payment in terms of everyday reffing and tech work.
Most fields only need about two techs tops for an everyday crowd. The ones that I visit have one working most days. Unless you’re in the middle of a huge city and get massive event-sized crowds on a weekly basis, one good tech will be more than fine. It’s worth it to pay the tech, especially if they don’t play regularly. If they are a regular player, then things like paint discounts, free field and air fees, and shop discounts are also ways to reimburse them for their time.
Refs are a little different. For non-tournament work payment is really a little ridiculous. You can find volunteers who will work for paint, or even paint discounts. If you find that your current refs aren’t performing up to par (screwing around, not paying attention to safety concerns) find some experienced players who are looking for a little sponsorship in return for reffing time. No one could possibly complain because reffing recball is extremely easy, no matter how you spin it.
Tournament reffing should be very different. Take the time to find refs who have had experience reffing in larger tourneys, if possible. A common practice is to pay the refs from the tourney entry fee, something like 20-40% going to refs. Depends on the tourney turnout, entry, etc.
These are definitely choices to be made with care. There are balances between quality and expense that have to be um… balanced. Anyway, just a few ideas to spur you along your path of righteous ref and tech hiring.
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