COLBY ? A shortage of qualified basketball referees in western Kansas has left high school leagues struggling to fill their schedules.

The Northwest Kansas League announced several basketball games for this season may have to be rescheduled because of the lack of referees. The Western Kansas Liberty League, another northwest Kansas league of smaller high schools, has the same problem.

“Five years ago I had 13 crews. Now I am at six crews, and there are three to a crew,” said Jim Keenan, commissioner of the Northwest Kansas League and teacher at Oakley High School.

Several factors figure in the shortage.

“Some of the reasons are school-controlled and other reasons are not,” Keenan said. “We also fight the battle of western Kansas: Everybody leaves.”

Keenan said games are typically played on Tuesdays and Fridays, but because there are so few referees, school officials are considering playing Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to meet available referees’ schedules.

Keenan said he has contacted referees from central Kansas who said they would help.

Harv Kahle, the commissioner of the Western Kansas Liberty League and a teacher in Winona, said there is a proposal to increase pay, but its success is uncertain.