At a meeting of the TTRA's Management Committee in March this year, it was determined that there was a need to increase the match payments made to members as part of a wider recruitment and retention strategy, which also involved the appointment of paid referee coaches to matches in Townsville Touch Football's Collier Shield.
Through feedback received by the Management Committee from its membership and stakeholders, the Association committed to investigate the feasibility of a match payment increase, and any changes to the current payment structure that would need to be made as a result, with a view to implementing those changes from the start of the new year.
As a result, the Management Committee resolved to increase the base rate of pay in 2022 for all registered adult competition referees by $10.00 per match, resulting in all registered referees in Townsville Touch Football's 2022 adult competitions receiving a minimum of $20.00 per match officiated.
TTRA President, Kerrod Hall, presented the new pay structure at a recent meeting between TTF and its clubs, where it was well received by all in attendance.
Commencing from 1 January, 2021, registered TTRA members will be paid according to the below:
| Competition | Until 31 December, 2021 | From 1 January, 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Colliers Shield (Men’s 1, Women’s 1, Men’s 2) | $14.00 per referee, per match | $25.00 per referee, per match |
| Colliers Shield (all other grades) | $10.00 per referee, per match | $20.00 per referee, per match |
| All other adult competitions | $10.00 per referee, per match | $20.00 per referee, per match |
Payments to referees in TTF’s junior competitions under the auspices of Townsville Junior Touch Football (TJT) will remain the same in 2022, in-line with the recently accepted proposal for the TTRA to take over management of referees in TJT competitions.
| Competition | Pay Rate |
|---|---|
| All 9-14 age groups, 15 Girls (both roles) & 16 Girls (Junior role only) |
$10.00 per referee, per match |
| 16 Boys, 15 Boys (both roles) & 16 Girls (Experienced role) |
$20.00 per referee, per match |
Increases to payments for referees in TJT competitions will be considered after 2022, in consultation with TJT-aligned clubs.
It is the belief of the TTRA that the new pay rates now better reflect the current expectations of referees, and will help attract and retain more referees to the sport, particularly in TTF's weeknight social competitions which compete most with other social activities and sports.
All referees are reminded that they must be registered in order to receive payment for any matches officiated. Registrations can be completed on the TTRA's website - ttra.org.au.