There is a nationwide shortage of high school football officials.

The decreasing numbers have led the agency that oversees U.S. high school sports to begin a campaign to recruit more officials and turn around the trend.

A recent article in USA Today outlined many factors contributing to this shift.  The main issues center on the age of most officials as well as the verbal abuse they sometimes have to endure.

Additionally, many officials are volunteers or do not receive a significant compensation—so they are increasingly choosing to spend their time elsewhere.

Officiating is often a thankless job. Parents, players, coaches and fans are quick to criticize and sometimes harass officials, while positive feedback can be hard to come by.

USA Football course: Mechanics of Officiating Youth Football

The National Federation of State High School Associations posted a staggering statistic: only two of every 10 officials return for their third year of officiating.

The association is resilient on finding a way to recruit more officials.

Their website states, "We must find ways to recruit more men and women to become involved in officiating high school sports,” said a release on their website. “Second, we have to address issues that are causing these individuals to discontinue their service as contest officials."

Almost everyone can help overturn this trend.

The next time you are watching, playing or coaching a game, take a second to thank the official(s) for their time.

If you are interested in becoming an official, visit highschoolofficials.com