Oregon official John Birkhofer celebrates 50th year calling games — and son Scott Birkhofer is following in Dad’s footsteps

“There is something special about doing something you care about with someone you care about — being on the same team is a really cool thing.”

By Dave Ball 

Officiating has become a family tradition for the Birkhofer family — one that started almost by accident when John got thrust into the stripes while working as a civilian contractor in Germany 50 years ago. 

“A guy came up and asked if I had ever refed before. I said no. Then he asked how well did I know football. ‘Pretty well, I guess.’ Well, then we’ve got a game this weekend for you,” John said. 

He showed up for that first assignment overseeing a high school football game on an army base, and John has kept showing up on fields and in gyms ever since. He also worked army base basketball games before returning stateside in 1974. He has been a fixture at area high school games since.

“I’ll think of one memory and another one will pop right up; for me it’s just fun to go out and do a ballgame,” John said. “I’m a people watcher — I can sit in an airport for hours just doing that. On game nights, I enjoy seeing how different people react to the same situation.”

This fall marks the 50th season for John, a retired human resources manager and general manager with Columbia Steel in North Portland, and he is busier than ever. Referee shortages have forced area schools to add Thursday nights to their varsity schedules. Add in sub-varsity games earlier in the week and youth leagues over the weekend, and John is working 4-5 games most weeks. 

His son, Scott, is in his 13th season as an official, and the father-son combo has had numerous opportunities to work together on the same crew. 

“You can go out and play golf with your parent and it’s kind of similar,” Scott said. “But there is something special about doing something you care about with someone you care about — being on the same team is a really cool thing.”

Scott typically works Thursday and Friday games, while blocking out the rest of his week to make time for family. He stays busy running a preschool with his wife, Kelsey, while also coaching his kids’ soccer and flag football teams.

“It’s interesting to see the parallels of where I was at when I was his age,” John said. “It’s a busy time of life. He’s helping his wife run a business, he’s got kids and all of their activities, and you still have to find time to mow the yard.”

The game has evolved dramatically over John’s 50 seasons in the stripes, enough to keep him and his crew on their toes.

“Teams used to run almost every play — it would be off tackle, off guard or a sweep,” John said. “Now, everyone runs a variety of plays — the number of plays in the repertoire is crazy.”

Another change in which officials play a pivotal role is ensuring player safety on the field with concussion protocols and new rules designed to take some of the unnecessary hits out of the game. 

“Most of the new rules revolve around safety and equipment,” John said. “The one that comes to mind is protecting a defenseless player. It used to be that if a guy was focused on the ball and you took him out, you would get a loud cheer. Now that’s a penalty.”

Growing up watching his dad officiate has created a solid template for Scott to utilize in the way he calls a game.

“Anyone can memorize some rules, but it comes down to those interpersonal relationships and the way you interact with coaches and players. My dad has done a great job of that,” Scott said.

Still, the referee shortage points to a climate where officials are faced with confronting abusive language on the field and off. 

“These young kids don’t want to get yelled at, and I can’t say I blame them,” John said. “Parents and kids pick up on the tone set by the coach.”

To help with communication from the sideline to the officials, the OSAA has instituted a “One Voice” rule. This delegates one coach to be the voice to the officials. The goal is to eliminate the noise on the sideline and create clearer communication between coaches and the officiating crew.

“It takes the right person to be an official, but I haven’t come across too many who jumped in and didn’t like it,” Scott said. “For me it’s about the energy and the atmosphere of a game night. Once you’ve played a competitive sport, it’s impossible to replicate that energy with golf or a rec league. As an official, you get to be a third party to that excitement again.”