A big reason there’s a high school basketball season, referees

For officials working high school games, the pandemic is just as much of an adjustment for them, "We're not used to having something covering our faces, and try to blow a whistle, and then go over and talk to the table, talk to the coaches, try to talk to the kids," says Dale Sanchez, who as officiated games for thirty years.

Just blowing the whistle required some innovation, one official invented a mask that most refs are using to help, "I've got it in my mouth right now. And then (blows whistle), and then it just falls out. Right now it's sitting right here," says Jeffrey Heins, an official for eighteen years.

Refs typically have it tough. Every time they blow a whistle, someone doesn't like it and they've taken their fair share of abuse from parents. With fewer people in the stands, you might think that's be a plus not necessarily, "Now that they're opening up a little bit more, you're starting to hear a little bit more verbiage coming from the parents. They seem to know the rules better than we do," says Sanchez.

Ultimately, the game doesn't work without the refs. They're putting themselves out there, in a pandemic and the players appreciate it, "A lot of kids have come to us after the games, and told us, says Sanchez. 'Thank you very much for coming out. If it wasn't for you guys, we wouldn't be able to play.'

"It's all for the kids. Get them on the court. They want to play. This might be their final season, and you'd hate to have them lose the season, because of what's going on right now, " says Davis Haberkorn, who has officiated games for eight years.