"Middle school sports" is the everyday phrase; NYSPHSAA's actual term is "modified," the level below JV and varsity. On Long Island, modified programs are administered locally by Section VIII (Nassau County) and Section XI (Suffolk County) under the statewide NYSPHSAA framework, with their own grade-based classifications and crew formats. Officials still need full sport-specific certification — modified isn't a lower certification bar, just a different format and, often, a thinner staffing pool. EmergencyRefs books certified modified-level officials with as little as 12 hours notice across Nassau and Suffolk.
What "Middle School" Actually Means in Long Island Athletics
Parents and coordinators say "middle school sports." Athletic directors and assigning services say "modified." They're the same games, but the second term is the one that actually shows up on schedules, officiating contracts, and section handbooks — which matters when you're trying to book the right official and not just describe the right age group.
Modified sits below junior varsity and varsity in New York's standard four-tier structure (modified, JV, varsity, and in some districts a separate freshman tier). It's governed statewide by NYSPHSAA, but administered locally through eleven regional sections. Long Island splits across two of them: Section VIII covers Nassau County, and Section XI covers Suffolk County — the same section structure our certification and background check guide and our Great Neck coverage guide reference for varsity registration. Each section publishes its own modified-sport handbooks; Section XI's, for example, classifies modified teams by grade level in most sports — "A" for programs going up through grade 9, "B" through grade 8, and "C" through grade 7, with football and lacrosse classified on a separate scale. Section VIII runs its own modified handbooks sport by sport under the same statewide framework, though its specific grade cutoffs and format rules are set independently rather than mirroring Section XI's.
| Level | Typical Grades | Governing Body | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modified | 6–9, varies by classification and sport | Section VIII (Nassau) / Section XI (Suffolk) | Often the least-experienced officiating assignment in the school's program |
| Junior Varsity | 9–10, varies | Section VIII / Section XI | Full-length format in most sports |
| Varsity | 9–12 | Section VIII / Section XI | Highest-certification assignment; see our preseason scrimmage guide for the gap before the season officially opens |
📋 Say "modified," not just "middle school." Your league or district's paperwork almost certainly uses "modified" as the official level name. Using that word on your request helps us match the right certification and format the first time, instead of a back-and-forth to clarify which level you mean.
Why Modified Games Are Often the Hardest to Staff on a Tight Week
When an assigning service or a district's athletic office is short on officials for a given week, modified games are usually the first ones to feel it. That's not a judgment about their importance — it's a straightforward consequence of how thin rosters get prioritized. Varsity games carry the most visibility and the strictest section requirements; JV is close behind. Modified games, by contrast, are where districts often place newer or less-experienced officials to begin with, which means the pool qualified and willing to work them is already narrower before a shortage week even hits.
That dynamic sits on top of a national trend that isn't specific to Long Island or to modified sports, but makes the squeeze worse everywhere: officiating overall is aging out faster than it's being replaced. NASO's 2023 National Officiating Survey — 35,813 respondents, the largest of its kind — found the average official's age had climbed to 56.68, up from 53.29 in the same survey six years earlier, and 79.06% of respondents said they'd taken on more assignments specifically to cover the shortage. Fewer new officials entering the pipeline means fewer people cutting their teeth on modified games the way officials traditionally have, which is part of why a modified-level cancellation can be harder to backfill same-day than a varsity one, even though the varsity game gets more attention.
Certification for Modified-Level Officials
Modified is not a lower certification bar. A modified soccer game still requires a USSF-credentialed referee. A modified basketball game still requires IAABO certification. A modified baseball or softball game still runs through the same state umpire association pathways as JV and varsity. What changes is who typically gets assigned — districts often use modified as a development assignment for officials who are certified but newer to school-level games, building experience before they move up to JV and varsity. Our certification and background check guide covers what that certification verifies sport by sport, and our rec vs. travel requirements guide covers how certification grade shifts across levels more broadly — modified fits into that same grading logic, just inside the school system rather than a travel program.
Crew Size and Game Format
Crew size for modified games generally mirrors JV in most sports, but format can differ in ways that catch first-time bookers off guard. Section XI, for instance, mandates a five-period format instead of four quarters for B-level modified teams in basketball, field hockey, football, lacrosse, and soccer, with no option to play an extra period the way some rec leagues allow for a tied game. Section XI also bars ninth graders from B-level rosters and prohibits scrimmages or games between A-level and B-level teams. These are section-specific rules, not universal ones — confirm your own section and sport's format rather than assuming it matches what's written here for Section XI, since Section VIII sets its own modified rules independently. Our crew size reference guide covers standard crew counts by sport if you need the baseline before checking your section's modified-specific wrinkles.
School District Contracts Cover Modified Athletics Too
If your district already has an officiating vendor contract in place, modified games are almost always part of that same agreement rather than a separate booking process — see our school district referee contracts guide for what districts typically require before paying an invoice (W-9, certificate of insurance naming the district, background check documentation, and a signed vendor agreement). One gap worth flagging: just as preseason varsity scrimmages can fall outside a season contract's terms, modified preseason or non-league games sometimes do too. If you're staffing a modified team's tune-up game before the section's official start date, check with your district's business office on whether that date is covered under the existing contract or needs to be booked separately.
How to Book a Referee for a Modified or Middle School Game
Say "modified," and name the section
Section VIII (Nassau) or Section XI (Suffolk) — this determines which format and classification rules apply.
Give us the sport, classification, and school
A-level, B-level, or C-level where that applies, plus the school or district athletic office running the game.
Confirm date, time, and lead time
Modified schedules often shift around weather and field-sharing with varsity and JV — flag any tentative dates early.
We confirm your official
Certification matched to the sport, with a backup plan in place if something changes before game time.
Staffing Modified or Middle School Games This Season?
Tell us the section, sport, and school. We'll confirm a certified official — same-day requests welcome.
Request a Modified-Level Official at EmergencyRefs.com →Coverage: Nassau and Suffolk Middle Schools
EmergencyRefs staffs modified-level games across both Long Island sections — Section VIII districts in Nassau County and Section XI districts in Suffolk County. See our Nassau County referee coverage and Suffolk County referee coverage pages for the full county picture, or a town-specific page like our Westbury referee coverage guide if you already know which district's field you're booking.
Need a Certified Official for a Modified-Level Game?
Section VIII or Section XI, any sport — tell us the school and the classification.
Request Coverage at EmergencyRefs.com →Frequently Asked Questions
NYSPHSAA's term for the middle-school level, one tier below JV and varsity. Section VIII governs it in Nassau County, Section XI in Suffolk County. Section XI classifies teams A/B/C by grade; Section VIII runs its own modified handbooks under the same statewide framework.
Yes — certification is sport-specific and still required at every level. Modified is not a lower certification bar; it's typically a development assignment for certified officials newer to school-level games.
Usually the same base crew as JV, though format can differ — Section XI mandates a five-period format for B-level teams in several sports, with no extra period option. Confirm your section's specific rules.
Sometimes, through New York's statewide Athletic Placement Process, a formal case-by-case evaluation for JV or varsity eligibility. The decision sits with the school district, not an officiating service.
We aim for 12 hours notice and take same-day requests based on availability. Modified games can be harder to fill on short notice than varsity since thin rosters get prioritized toward the highest-visibility games first — book as early as you can.