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To the casual observer, the boys lacrosse season began inconspicuously. On the field, a hot-button issue made Week One unlike any other.

For the first time since the sport gained official varsity status in 1997, matches were called by an entirely different group of officials. The Montgomery County Public Schools athletics department replaced its longtime standby, the Potomac Lacrosse Officials Association, because of a contract dispute.

In the 2010 season, public school games will be refereed by the Montgomery County Boys Lacrosse Officials Association, a first-year organization of more than 50 members. Of them, 45 are novice lacrosse officials, though the majority has worn stripes in other sports.

The change has created mixed feelings among county coaches, with the opening slate of games providing a sampling of things to come.

"I understand that in the long run, it's probably going to be okay," said Walter Johnson head coach Jon Mayer. "That being said, it's currently not benefiting anybody. Our first game, we had three refs at the game, one with 20 years of experience and two others who never reffed a game in their lives. It was awful. ...

"People work way too hard in the offseason to let these games be altered by referee decisions rather than their play. I'm definitely worried about that, and I think other coaches are worried about it, too."

The point of contention between the county and the officials was simple: money. The rights and wrongs of the case are not as clear-cut.

For close to a decade, officials of every Montgomery County Public Schools varsity sport operated on three-year contracts, with yearly rates rising evenly. In 2008-09, referees earned $66 per game. Salaries were renewed uniformly last spring, with raises topping out at approximately 9.2 percent for the 2011-12 school year, according to Dr. William Beattie, MCPS Coordinator of Athletics.

"Every group signed quickly, except for boys lacrosse," Beattie said. "We are very strong into the concept of equality. About one decade ago, we decided as a matter of protocol that we wanted to pay everybody the same amount. It took a couple years to get everyone to the same number, because it involved a lot of restructuring, but we've been there for about five or six years. ...

"The Potomac Lacrosse Officials Association's original offer was almost a 30 percent raise for three years. This went on for about eight months, and they finally brought their price down to $80 for varsity officials, and something like $70 for JV; accept that offer or move on. I said I have no option, and we severed the relationship."

PLOA, according to its Web site the largest officials association in the Mid-Atlantic region, felt short-changed for several reasons.

First and foremost, PLOA documented the inequity of the workload among varsity sports. The up-tempo nature of lacrosse, combined with its 110-yard-long field, demands referees be in good aerobic condition. Additionally, only two officials worked public school games in Montgomery County, as opposed to the three for private schools.

Safety concerns are also more pronounced, according to Homer Schwartz, president of the U.S. Lacrosse Potomac Chapter. A PLOA member for more than a decade, Schwartz officiates games at the youth, high school and college level, and feels their responsibilities are not commensurate to their black-and-white-striped peers.

"For instance in football, you've got five or six refs and if someone runs 10 yards, that's a lot," said Schwartz, who met with Beattie. "We're sprinting up and down the field all game. ... And boys lacrosse can get out of hand quicker if you have guys that don't know what they're doing. Boys have titanium sticks in their hands and testosterone, it can get out of hand fast, and these [new] guys don't know how to keep the players under control."

PLOA Commissioner Bill Harvey agreed, stating that the county's new system has greater insurance liability risks, and that "any competent attorney can pierce the corporate veil and reach into [Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's] kitty."

Other leagues do not adhere to the MCPS policy of paying the same for all sports. But the crux of the issue, according to Harvey, is that wages range from $88.50 to $92 per game for PLOA officials in all of its other jurisdictions, except for Baltimore County.

"And [Baltimore County] has had fiscal problems for awhile that aren't comparable," Harvey said. "Ironically, Duke Beattie spent more money than they would have with the new officials."

Harvey cited MPSSAA fees, digital beepers — required to time lacrosse players advancing out of their defensive zone — and solicitation of new officials as additional costs, also asserting the recent hires "had four to five hours of training, not even a full day."

Paint Branch athletic director Jeff Sullivan dismisses those claims as "completely untrue," noting the county required on-field and classroom training, along with MPSSAA standardized testing, for each of its new referees. He and Gaithersburg teacher Nate Parry are co-assigners of referees for boys lacrosse games this spring, and offer evaluation forms to county coaches following their games.

"Like anything, it's going to be a process," Sullivan said. "I've asked my colleagues, ‘You see something positive, something negative, provide feedback.' Our officials are only going to get better; naturally, it's just going to take some time. I think everyone knows the situation and I think we're all doing a good job."