The El Paso Basketball Officials Association trains, evaluates, and assigns referees to middle school and high school basketball games in El Paso, Clint, Mt. View, Anthony and Dell City.
Our Association is open to men and women who love the sport, are former players and coaches who want to stay connected to the game.
The requirements to be an official are simple. You must complete a background check, meet minimum scores on three open-book rules tests and attend required training meetings and classes.
Sports officials are independent contractors who can work when and where they want. That requires them to be entrepreneurial people who can be responsible for their own scheduling, keeping up with their commitments and their finances (including taxes).
There are minimal start-up costs that include purchasing a uniform (pants, stripes, whistle and quality solid black running shoes), state and local dues (all tax deductible).
There is also an investment in time, particularly during the season which runs from October until March. There will be meetings every Monday during that time period. New officials will receive separate training, also on Monday night. There will be plenty of games to officiate most of the week during the season. You can choose the days you want to work and how far to travel, but being more flexible = more assignments.
EPBOA officials earn a minimum of $50 to as much as $150 per assignment.
Registration for the 2023-2024 season for ALL officials is open at www.arbitersports.com.
Officials must register with both the EPBOA and the Texas High School Basketball Officials Association (THSBOA).
Fees for the 2023-2024 season are $150 for local dues and $90 for state dues.
REQUIREMENTS
To apply to be an official, you must be 18 years old and register with our state office at thsboa.arbitersports.com/front/108492/Registration.
The application fee for new members is $60, payable by credit or debit card online.
This fee includes a background check.
For best results, we strongly recommend you complete your registration on a desk-top computer. We Do NOT recommend using a smartphone or tablet to complete the registration process.
New officials meet every Monday at 7 p.m. in the Small Chapel First Presbyterian Church, 1340 Murchison. Our general chapter meetings are also on Mondays starting Oct. 11. You will be required to attend both.
Please contact Jaime Marquez at 915-603-7427 for more information (text only).
There are also two open-book tests – a 2-person mechanics exam and a rules test – that need to be completed. An official must pass the online exams with a minimum score of 70% in order to receive games assignments or game schedules.
The exams, which can be found at thsboa.arbitersports.com are open-book and must be taken prior to the season. Don’t worry, we can schedule study sessions so you will be well prepared for the exams.
INVESTMENT
Your officiating work is classified as a Schedule C Sub-Contractor. That means you can deduct any expenses you have while performing your duties as an official including the purchase of uniforms, study books, mileage to and from meetings and to and from games. State dues are $60 and local dues are $150 for returning members and $60 for new members.
Here is a breakdown of THSBOA services and benefits:
* Registration of State Membership
* Background Check
* Officials Insurance (General Liability, Accident Medical, Accidental Death)
* NFHS Publications (Rule Book, Case Book & Officials Manual)
* Annual Testing
* Education and Training Support
* Chapter Camp Support and Scholarships
* Chapter Assigning Software
* Chapter D&O Insurance
* Annual All-Star Games Officials Assignments
* Membership Assistance Fund
* State Tournament Officials Evaluation and Support
* Chapter Representation on State Board of Directors
Here is a breakdown of what the local dues cover:
* Local rules clinic
* State meetings
* Game assigner fee
* Travel fee for regional and state tournament games
* Assigning software
* Meeting room rental
For first year officials, uniforms will cost about between $165 to $245 approved EPBOA striped shirts, black pants (with no belt loops), Fox whistle, black shoes and an EPBOA black jacket (encouraged, but not required for the first year).
We have an approved vendor who will sell the whole set coming in on Oct. 12. If properly taken care of, the pants, shirts and jacket, will last for several years. The gear is always the highest investment the first year.
INCOME
You will be compensated for the work you do. First-year officials will mostly work middle school games ($50 per game), freshman and junior varsity games ($55), plus $15 for milage. For example, most assignments are two games, meaning for middle school games, you will be paid $65 ($50, plus $15 milage) for the first game and $50 for the second game so you would make $115 for both. For sub varsity (freshman and JV) it’s $70 ($55, plus $15 milage) for the first game and $55 for the second game or $125 for two games. We receive pay roughly every five weeks.
The pay for varsity games is $90 ($75, plus $15 in milage) for the first game and $75 for the second game.
QUESTIONS:
If you have any questions, please reach out to:
Andy Garcia, president, andygrca_ref@yahoo.com or 915-787-8905 (text only).
Gil Cartagena, secretary, glblcartagena@gmail.com or 915-490-5588 (text only).
Jaime Marquez, new official’s trainer, jamlawndart@yahoo.com or 915-603-7427 (text only).
El Paso Basketball Officials 