Managing Referees as an Assignor in Iowa: Step-by-Step Guide

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Referee assignors in Iowa play a crucial role in keeping local, high school, and club sports running smoothly. From scheduling coverage across counties to juggling last-minute cancellations, assignors are often the backbone of game-day logistics.

But trying to manage it all with spreadsheets, texts, and emails quickly becomes unsustainable.

That’s where Refr Sports comes in.

Whether you're assigning for youth soccer in Des Moines or varsity basketball in Cedar Rapids, Refr offers Iowa assignors a complete system for referee scheduling, communication, and payment tracking—all in one platform.

Here’s a step-by-step look at how to streamline referee management across Iowa using Refr.

Step 1: Centralize Your Official Pool

Start by building out your referee roster inside Refr. Officials create and manage their own profiles, entering key info like:

  • Sport certifications
  • Availability preferences
  • Contact details and W-9s

This ensures every official you work with is up to date, and it eliminates the need for separate forms, email chains, or fragmented contact sheets.

Step 2: Post and Assign Games

Refr lets you schedule assignments one game at a time—or in bulk. Assignors can:

  • Filter officials by location, sport, or availability
  • Group assignments by day, team, or venue
  • View confirmation status in real time

Once assigned, officials are notified instantly and can accept or decline directly in the platform. That means less follow-up, less texting, and fewer missed assignments.

Step 3: Manage Availability and Sub Requests

Officials in Refr manage their own availability from their devices. If something changes—whether it’s a school exam, travel conflict, or injury—they update their calendar, and your assignment pool adjusts automatically.

And when officials need to back out of a game? They can request a sub through Refr, allowing assignors to fill gaps quickly—without scrambling last minute.

Step 4: Communicate From One System

Communication during the season often happens across multiple platforms. Refr changes that by giving you a centralized place to message referees.

You can:

  • Send push notifications for schedule changes
  • Message entire crews or individuals
  • Track communication history tied to specific games

No need to juggle texts, emails, and DMs. Everything stays where your schedule lives.

Step 5: Track Payments and Prep for Taxes

Assignors across Iowa spend countless hours reconciling pay at the end of a season. Refr reduces that burden by tracking:

  • Which games were worked
  • Which officials were paid
  • Clean logs for exporting to accounting or tax prep

You can also collect and store W-9s securely through the system—keeping compliance straightforward and accessible.

Step 6: Adjust and Scale with Your Season

From fall football to spring soccer, Iowa’s sports calendar is never quiet. Refr adapts to your needs whether you're managing one league or several.

As new teams join or schedules shift, Refr makes it easy to:

  • Add officials mid-season
  • Reassign games on the fly
  • Manage multiple leagues from a single dashboard

Whether you're overseeing one weekend tournament or a full school-year calendar, Refr scales with you.

Final Thoughts

Managing referees in Iowa doesn’t need to be a juggling act. Refr Sports gives assignors one system that handles assigning, availability, communication, and payment tracking—with fewer headaches and more control.

If you’re still managing schedules with spreadsheets or relying on outdated systems, now’s the time to upgrade. Refr gives you the tools to run smoother operations and support your referees more effectively—season after season.

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"Refr Sports has made things so much easier. The payment process is streamlined, everything is trackable, and officials love the app. Once the word got out, we doubled the number of officials signing up to use the platform. It just works."
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Dennis Barela
President | Behind the Flag and Dream Big Officials
Helped me schedule my entire season in less than 2 hours
“The system helped me upload and schedule my entire season in less than 2 hours time! The fee we pay is more than worth it. Switching to Refr has made a night-and-day difference for our organization.”
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Megan Jacobson
Head of Operations | Catholic Athletic Association
The best platform I’ve used
"Switching to Refr did not disappoint. They handle everything — from availability and communication to seamless scheduling and payments — for the thousands of games I assign every year. This platform is the place to be."
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Adam Bates
President | Florida Officials Association
It has eliminated time spent on payroll
"The billing process has made my officials extremely happy due to the consistency and ability to track it on their phones. It has also saved me a ton of time on the invoicing side and eliminated my time spent on taxes"
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Joe Kulas
Assignor | MinnDak Officials Association
I’m telling every assignor I know
"Refr is something you really need to look into. It’s so much easier than the alternatives, and everyone appreciates what you’re doing with payment automation."
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Ian Carlson
State Supervisor | Iowa Hockey Officials
Referees get paid directly through the platform
"Referees get paid directly through the platform, relieving me and my sports organizations of the burden of handling payments and tax forms. Once they use it and see how it works, they're so happy and relieved."
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Christine Francis
Kansas City Soccer Assignor
Great for tournaments and schools
“I assign softball umpires for several Georgia High School Association chapters and major tournaments, and Refr has been a huge upgrade. It simplifies both my tournament and league season operations—from seamless scheduling to weekly official payments and efficient invoicing and payroll management for all organizations types.”
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Dustin Holton
President | Next Level Officials
Genuine interest in serving the officiating community
"Support with Refr is incredible—quick responses, genuine communication, and a real willingness to listen. It’s clear this product is the result of listening to and implementing the advice and needs of assignors like myself."
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Shelley Russi
Owner | Ref-Ology & Blast Equality Collab
Their customer support is outstanding
“Refr Sports' customer service and app differentiate them from the rest! All of our emails, phone calls, and requests were answered very quickly. Their customer support is outstanding.”
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Kelli Linnerooth
Minneapolis Baseball Sports Organization Head

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