What is the minimum age to work as a youth sports referee in Kansas?

14 (state; under 14 only parents/farm/newspaper) Parent-employed & farm exempt; no referee carve-out (K.S.A. 38-603). State law keys on 'employ/permit to work' - no 1099 carve-out; misclassifying minor officials as contractors does not avoid child-labor rules.

When is a final paycheck due in Kansas if you let someone go?

Next regular payday Penalty 1%/day up to 100% for willful non-payment (KSA 44-315). PTO per policy.

How does Kansas decide whether a coach or referee is a 1099 contractor or an employee?

Common law / right to control (20-factor)

Does a youth sports league in Kansas need workers' compensation for 1099 referees and coaches?

Kansas covers any person who works under a contract of service with an employer and excludes self-employed persons, partners, LLC members and individual employers unless they file an election under K.S.A. 44-542a (K.S.A. 44-508(b)). Independent contractors are outside the Act; status is decided under the common-law right-to-control test, with Kansas courts weighing the IRS 20 factors (Craig v. FedEx Ground, 300 Kan. 788 (2014)). There is no contractor certificate or waiver of exemption; sole proprietors are simply outside unless they elect in. Kansas has a principal (statutory employer) rule: an entity that contracts out work that is part of its trade or business is liable for the contractor's and subcontractor's employees if they are uninsured (K.S.A. 44-503), and K.S.A. 44-766 penalizes misclassification to evade WC or UI. Employers with annual payroll of $20,000 or less are exempt from the Act (44-505), which exempts many small leagues regardless of classification. Sports officials: None found in the WC act or in K.S.A. 44-703 (UI). Bottom line: referees paid per game and free to decline assignments are usually contractors, while coaches controlled by the league are at risk; the practical exposure is small for leagues under the $20,000 payroll line, but once 1099 pay is recharacterized as wages that line can be crossed.

For youth sports organizations and event operators · Kansas rulebook

Youth sports labor rules in Kansas: who can you put in the game, and what do you owe them?

State rules for everyone a youth sports organization pays: coaches and trainers on payroll, officials and event staff on 1099, program and front-office staff, and the teenagers you hire for a season. Wages, final pay, minors, contractor status, workers' comp, safe sport and youth safety, 50 states + DC, checked against statute text.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 202651 jurisdictions · 32 rules each

Step 1

Pick the state where the work happens

Rules follow where people work, not where you are based. Running an event? Use the event state. Operating a club or league? Use the state where your staff coach, officiate and work.

Color the map by

n/a

Set a role, age and pay type below to see which rules apply to your organization.

Step 2

Check a staffing plan

Tell us who you are paying, how old they are, and whether they are on payroll or 1099. We rank what applies.

State where the work happens

Role

Worker age

Paid as

Not sure if someone should be 1099 or on payroll?Answer 5 plain-English questions. We explain the sticking points in your state.5-question check

Tourney Direct does not decide classification. Confirm with a tax advisor or attorney before you onboard anyone as a contractor.

Step 3

Everything on file for Kansas

All 32 rules for this state, with the statutes and agency pages they came from.

Wages and pay
Minimum wage (2026): $7.25
Required pay frequency: Monthly
Final paycheck if you let them go: Next regular payday
Final paycheck if they quit: Next regular payday
Final-pay penalties: Penalty 1%/day up to 100% for willful non-payment (KSA 44-315). PTO per policy.
State income tax withholding: Yes
Workers' comp required at: Payroll >$20,000/yr
New-hire report due (days): 20
Minors
Minimum working age: 14 (state; under 14 only parents/farm/newspaper)
Work permit: Only for under-16 not enrolled in secondary school (school issues); otherwise no
Ages 14 to 15, school in session: State: 8 hrs/day, 40 hrs/wk; no work 10pm-7am before school day - FLSA 3/18, 7pm governs
Ages 14 to 15, summer and breaks: 8 hrs/day, 40 hrs/wk; FLSA 9pm summer curfew
Ages 16 to 17: None: federal has none
Weekend and evening games: State law only bars 14-15 from 10pm-7am before school days; FLSA stricter
Referee, coach and recreation exemptions: Parent-employed & farm exempt; no referee carve-out (K.S.A. 38-603). State law keys on 'employ/permit to work' - no 1099 carve-out; misclassifying minor officials as contractors does not avoid child-labor rules.
Contractors and leave
How this state decides 1099 vs. payroll: Common law / right to control (20-factor)
Same question, for unemployment insurance: IRS 20-factor / common law (K.S.A. 44-703(i)(3)(D))
Referee-specific rule: None found (no officials-specific statute; general tests apply)
Workers' comp for 1099 referees and coaches: Kansas covers any person who works under a contract of service with an employer and excludes self-employed persons, partners, LLC members and individual employers unless they file an election under K.S.A. 44-542a (K.S.A. 44-508(b)). Independent contractors are outside the Act; status is decided under the common-law right-to-control test, with Kansas courts weighing the IRS 20 factors (Craig v. FedEx Ground, 300 Kan. 788 (2014)). There is no contractor certificate or waiver of exemption; sole proprietors are simply outside unless they elect in. Kansas has a principal (statutory employer) rule: an entity that contracts out work that is part of its trade or business is liable for the contractor's and subcontractor's employees if they are uninsured (K.S.A. 44-503), and K.S.A. 44-766 penalizes misclassification to evade WC or UI. Employers with annual payroll of $20,000 or less are exempt from the Act (44-505), which exempts many small leagues regardless of classification. Sports officials: None found in the WC act or in K.S.A. 44-703 (UI). Bottom line: referees paid per game and free to decline assignments are usually contractors, while coaches controlled by the league are at risk; the practical exposure is small for leagues under the $20,000 payroll line, but once 1099 pay is recharacterized as wages that line can be crossed.
Seasonal or recreation carve-out: K.S.A. 44-1202 MW applies only to employers not covered by FLSA; FLSA exemptions govern
Paid sick leave: No
Paid family and medical leave: No
What it costs to get it wrong: K.S.A. 44-766: misclassification for UI/WC evasion, civil penalties
Safety
Background checks: None statewide: check municipal/league policy (K.S.A. 22-4701 et seq.; NCPA channeling via KBI).
Safe sport: state law: No state safe-sport statute for private youth leagues; federal SafeSport Act baseline and NGB rules apply. Kansas imposes no abuse-prevention training, written-policy (two-adult, one-on-one contact, electronic communication, locker room, travel) or parent-notification duty on private leagues, clubs, camps or tournaments, and no Kansas statute adopts the SafeSport Code. The only youth-sports-specific mandate is the school concussion law (K.S.A. 72-6284, formerly 72-135). Coach-relevant criminal law: K.S.A. 21-5512 (unlawful sexual relations) covers school employees or volunteers with a student 16-17, which reaches school coaches but not private-club coaches; hazing is criminal only through K.S.A. 21-5418 (promoting or permitting hazing). Project Play's 2025 Kansas City analysis found neither Kansas nor Missouri sets coach training or conduct-policy expectations for non-school sports and urged a Colorado-style law; no 2025-26 Kansas bill was located (checked Oct. 1, 2026). Cross-reference: Kansas's professional-only mandated-reporter list (K.S.A. 38-2223) and permissive background checks are in the existing columns.
Safe sport: federal SafeSport Act and NGB rules: National baseline: the SafeSport Act (36 U.S.C. 220541-43, 18 U.S.C. 2258, Pub. L. 115-126 as amended by Pub. L. 116-189 in 2020, no later amendment found) binds NGBs and their member clubs in interstate competition to SafeSport Core training, MAAPP policies and 24-hour reporting to the Center and law enforcement. Kansas overlay: coaches are not state mandated reporters, so for NGB-affiliated clubs the federal 24-hour rule is the controlling reporting duty (report to local law enforcement or DCF, plus the Center). KSHSAA rules bind member-school coaches only. Kansas has no stricter state requirement, and private non-NGB leagues are outside the Act unless they enter interstate NGB-sanctioned play.
Concussion law: K.S.A. 72-6284? (School Sports Head Injury Prevention Act, K.S.A. 72-135, 2011), school only; RTP written clearance by licensed physician.
Sudden cardiac arrest law: Yes (school), K.S.A. 72-6288 (2024): cardiac emergency response plans, AED/CPR training. Youth leagues not covered.
CPR and AED: None for youth leagues.
Coaches as mandated reporters: Not specifically: K.S.A. 38-2223 (professionals list; teachers, school administrators, child-care providers).
Coach certification: None.
Assault-on-official law: No.

All states

Rulebook by state

Kansas at a glance: minimum wage $7.25. Final paycheck when you let someone go: Next regular payday. Minimum working age: 14 (state; under 14 only parents/farm/newspaper). Background checks for youth sports: None statewide: check municipal/league policy (K.S.A. 22-4701 et seq.; NCPA channeling via KBI).