ST. LOUIS – The excitement of Friday night lights returned to the St. Louis area this weekend as high school football teams kicked off their season. Some organizations providing referees to area games wish they had more officials.

Former athletic director Pat Burns works to find enough referees for local high school sports. He owns a business that schedules officials and referees.

“We look at our schedules and try to figure out how many games we can cover on any given night,” Burns said. 

He reaches out to neighboring organizations if help is needed. In some cases, school districts will adjust their schedules. 

Burns said the shortages go beyond football. He considers other sports easier to adjust because they’re not synonymous with one night the way high school football is associated with Fridays.

“Everybody wants to play on a Friday night,” he added.

We’ve reported in the past on concerns over fan behavior at high school contests and the toll that’s taken on officials and efforts to retain them. 

“Know that our officials are out there working hard every week to do the best job that they can,” Burns said.

He encourages anyone unhappy with officiating to sign up to become a referee.

“Jump in, and we’d be glad to have you,” Burns said.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has a link with more information about becoming an official.

The St. Louis Officials Association is another organization that provides officials for the St. Louis area.