GUNNISON, Utah — At a youth football game in central Utah, the scene looks familiar: cheerleaders warming up, fifth- and sixth-graders putting on their pads and families filling the stands.
But there’s one important part of the game that can sometimes be harder to find: the referees.
WATCH | Who's calling the game? Tackling the youth football referee shortage
“I mean, if we’re not here doing them, there’s no one else,” referee Justin Jepsen said. “This is where the kids need you and we’re happy to be here helping them learn the game of football.”
FOX 13 was contacted by a parent who said the shortage of officials has led to frequent schedule changes and started to look into the issue.
Jantz Jensen, recreation director for Gunnison Valley Youth Sports and a coach with the Central Utah Football League, said at least half of the league's games have been moved because of the shortage.
Officials sometimes have to work multiple games in different communities after already working high school games the night before.
“We had a fifth-grade tackle game here the other night and one of the refs had been retired for a few years and they pulled him out of retirement,” Jensen said.
The shortage isn't limited to rural Utah.
Travis Johnson, an executive board member with the Ute Football Conference, said the organization recognized years ago that continuing to draw from the same pool of officials would be a challenge.
The Ute Football Conference is one of the largest youth football organizations in Utah and serves thousands of players across hundreds of fields.
That means a lot of games — and a lot of officials needed to cover them.
One solution is to bring younger people into officiating.
The Ute Football Conference is now recruiting referees as young as 16, pairing them with more experienced officials for mentoring and training.
“We’re recruiting referees ages 16 and older to come in and be mentored by some of the more tenured, seasoned referees that we have,” Johnson said. “We do a lot of training year-round.”
The Central Utah Football Officials Association, based in Richfield, is also holding recruiting events.
Officials say they're looking for people of all ages — including women — who are interested in learning the sport.
“If you are interested in learning the sport, come and do it,” one official said. “We’ll get you trained up.”
Being a referee can come with plenty of pressure.
Parents get passionate about their kids' games, and officials say that intensity can discourage people from wanting to stay in the job.
But the referees working these youth games say there are plenty of reasons to stick with it.
“It’s a great part-time gig,” Jepsen said.
Another official put it simply: “If you love the game of football, this is a great way to stay connected and serve in your community.”
And ultimately, they say, the goal is bigger than the officials themselves.
“None of this is possible without the referees.”
For Utah's youth football players, finding enough officials means keeping the games going.