Are 'Pay to Play' fees fair?

Vercingetorix · Jul 22, 2024

(*Disclaimer: Please excuse my ignorance on this topic, as I am still new to learning about American sports.)

Earlier today I was researching American High School Football when the fees caught my attention.

According to available info online, these fees are referred to as 'PTP' ('Pay to Play') and at first I figured these would be something reasonable, say: $100 per student/per year, considering that we are talking about high school students education.

However apparently 'PTP' fees are actually charged per student/per sport/per season/per game/per etcetera…and add up to somewhere in the order of around $660—$1000/per student/per year(?)

Is that right?

Or have I misunderstood something?

For an example, quoted from the AHSAA 2023 fees PDF:

•"AHSAA OFFICIAL’S FEES (Approved by the Central Board on 4/12/23.)"

•"ADMINISTRATION FEE:"

-"High School 100.00 per school, per sport ."

-"Middle School/Junior 75.00 per school, per sport. "

•"TRAVEL:"

-"Total miles are based on one way (not round trip) from each individual’s home address listed in Dragonfly."

-"Dragonfly list the total miles from the official’s home address to the address of the competition site."

-"0-60- $15.00"

-"61-120- $25.00"

-"121-180- $50.00"

-"181- More- $75.00"

-"A Maximum of 2 travels will be paid for a 2- 5 person crew."

-"A Maximum of 3 travels will be paid for a 6- 7 person crew."

•"FOOTBALL:"

-"Varsity (5 person crew) - $120/official, 2 travels."

-"Varsity (7 person crew) - $110/official, 3 travels."

-"Clock (Game and Play Clock)"

-"Operator Varsity - $65/official."

-"Chain Crew - $40/official."

-"SUB VARSITY:"

-"10min Quarters- $75"

-"8min Quarters-$65"

-"Clock Operator - $45/official"

-"Chain Crew - $40/official"

•"PLAYOFFS:"

-"1st Round (5 person crew) - $135/official, Alternate Clip - $90, ECO - $70."

-"1st Round (7 person crew) - $125/official, Alternate Clip - $90, ECO - $70 Playoffs."

-"2nd Round (7 person crew) - $135/official, Alternate Clip - $90, ECO - $70."

-"Playoffs Quarter-Finals (7 person crew) - $140/official, Alternate Clip - $105, ECO - $70."

-"Playoffs Semi-Finals (7 person crew) - $145/official, Alternate Clip - $120, ECO - $70."

-"State Finals (7 person crew) - $160/official, Alternates 130 and ECO - $90."

-"Playoffs Chain Crew if Officials -

$50/official."

•"FLAG FOOTBALL:"

-"Regular Season- $50/3 umpires (Only one contes being played)."

-"Regular Season- $40/3 umpires (More than one contes being played)."

-"Area Playoff Game- $50/3 umpires."

-"Quarter- Final Round Playoff Game- $55/4 umpire."

-"Semi- Final Round Playoff Game- $55/4 umpire."

-"State Championship Game- $60/4 umpire."

What does it actually cost an average American student to play HSF?

Are these 'PTP' fees fair or justified in your opinion?

What are your thoughts?

ernestdefoe · Jul 23, 2024

What that is referring to is paying for the referee's to officiate the games to make sure the rules are being enforced. If they didn't have referee's then the game could get very ugly very quick. The ref's have to buy their uniforms, pay for the gas to travel to the games, plus wear and tear (maintenance) on their personal vehicles. So it is only fair to pay them to come and officiate the games. At the end of the day it's not really much money considering the insults that the ref's receive from fans, players, coaches, etc.

Vercingetorix · Jul 23, 2024

ernestdefoe

Ahh, so does that mean the quoted part from the AHSAA PDF in the OP is specifically referring to fees relating to referees expenses and not the students 'PTP' fees?

ernestdefoe · Jul 23, 2024

It's what the ref's are paid to officiate the games.

ernestdefoe · Jul 23, 2024

Vercingetorix Now I'm not saying that some players don't get more playing time based on how much money their parents donate to the athletic department but what that is referring to again is how much the officials are paid to officiate the games. But overall there is no pay to play scheme going on in high school sports.

Vercingetorix · Jul 23, 2024

ernestdefoe

And the individual students have to pay for this?…or is this covered by the schools?

ernestdefoe · Jul 23, 2024

Vercingetorix The schools pay the officiating fees. That's what ticket sales and such go to help pay.

Vercingetorix · Jul 23, 2024

ernestdefoe

Really?

According to dozens of official sources online, 'PTP' is apparently a common practice…(?)

Although I didn't find anything about 'PTP' at the AHSAA website, but several other states do mention this 'Pay to Play' practice.

I dunno. Maybe it's common in some states but not others?

ernestdefoe · Jul 23, 2024

Vercingetorix Well again some players do get more playing time based on how much their parents donate to the athletic department (they are called boosters). Some parents have even moved so their kids could play at better schools to get more exposure in hopes of playing college football somewhere else. (Read up on Hoover High School in Hoover, AL and their old coach Rush Propst) that school was so good at one time they won national high school championships and numerous state championships. There were rumors that several big name high school players moved to Hoover so their kids could play there and some of them from out of state.

ernestdefoe · Jul 23, 2024

There is also a school in Florida called IMG Academy. They are basically a football school. Some players are there on scholarship but the ones not good enough for that I believe the parents have to pay for their child to attend there. A ridiculously high amount of their players go on to play at the college level and some even play in the NFL (professional football)