Referee controversy threatens to disrupt or cancel high school basketball season in Miami

Unless someone blinks, Miami-Dade high school boys’ and girls’ basketball teams might not have enough referees to play their upcoming seasons.

In December of 2020, Miami-Dade County’s basketball officials notified the state’s governing body, the FHSAA, that they were interested in seceding from the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC).

The basketball officials — who want to govern themselves so they can avoid what they perceive as unfair fees they’re forced to pay to the GMAC — officially requested to be sanctioned by the FHSAA in May.

So far, the FHSAA has not granted that request.

In response, about 135 of Miami’s 140 high school basketball officials have yet to opt in for the season, which begins on Nov. 8 for girls and Nov. 15 for boys.

Craig Clay, the vice president of Miami’s basketball officials association, said that what his group is asking for is reasonable. He said there are 26 officials associations in the state, and 23 of them are already self-governed.

Broward County’s sanction is held by the school board, which is similar to the situation in Miami. However, they are not forced to pay the fees that have caused a great majority of the Miami officials to take this stand, Clay said.

“Our fees are not charged to any other association in the state,” Clay said.

The FHSAA declined the Herald’s request for a phone interview. However, in a written response to questions from the Herald, FHSAA public relations specialist Ashton Moseley — while not disputing the information listed — said the Miami officials association did not meet necessary requirements.

“Therefore, the FHSAA did not approve their sanction request,” Moseley wrote.

As for the requirement, Moseley wrote that the “association must successfully demonstrate in writing to the FHSAA’s satisfaction the need for sanction of a new association in its geographical area.”

The FHSAA did not answer as to what happens if the Miami referees do not opt in for the season.

Meanwhile, Jackie Calzadilla, who is from the GMAC’s media relations department, also responded in writing. She said her office “has no influence or input” in the FHSAA’s decisions.

While the impasse continues, Israel Gonzalez, a longtime Miami high school referee and a former college official, said his colleagues are among the best in the nation.

“There are currently 33 officials in Miami-Dade who also work at the collegiate level,” Gonzalez said. “In addition, 14 of those officials work at the Division I level, and Miami has produced three current NBA referees [Dedric Taylor and the Goble brothers, John and Jacyn].”

Clay said the quality of his group of referees would be virtually impossible to replace by the GMAC.

“We have sent more officials to the state tournament than any other county in Florida,” Clay said. “We are well-respected in Lakeland [site of the state tournament].”

Clay said his group wants to eliminate the GMAC-charged registration fee that has increased from $25 per official to $45.

“According to their charter,” Clay said, “it could be raised to up to $85.”

Clay said that fee is supposedly charged for the administrative cost of assigning referees to games. Yet, Clay said, the GMAC charges private schools — but not public ones — booking fees.

There’s also a $10 badge fee, Clay said, and what the Miami officials believe is a $78 overcharge on the cost of fingerprinting.

“If you add it up,” Clay said, “it’s more than $21,000 the GMAC collects in fees (not including the fingerprinting issue).

“The bottom line is that we believe we deserve the right to be self-sanctioned.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2021 at 7:00 AM.