In the last weeks, certain referees’ associations of different sports disciplines have organized some sort of beginner’s course with the main aim being to find new talent so as to solve the consistent problem of referee shortage.
With these facts in mind I am going to delve (making use also of other professional studies in the subject) a bit into the core basics of refereeing so that I may be of some help to these, I hope enthusiastic, fellow beginner-referee colleagues.
Generally a person will desire to referee that particular sport which he played or followed at a young age. There are always, however, a number of new referees that practise a sport that they love to watch. Whatever the reason, one must always keep in mind that refereeing is very challenging. Results, and possibly success, will take some time and demand quite some sacrifices.
An individual can referee any sport. However, I can honestly state to be correct if I say that one has to be very dedicated and have big enthusiasm to work a sport he never played.
It is very advantageous to referee a sport that you played, since through playing, one develops a ‘feel’ for the game. This ‘feel’ will help you understand most aspects of a particular sport, for example, the decisions about advantage/disadvantage.
Having said this, I can also state that refereeing could be learned both with good training and a very positive mental attitude. With these traits, a dedicated referee could eventually learn how to apply the rules and get into the correct position to make the calls or no-calls.
It is very disappointing that many athletes do not try out refereeing once they stop playing. These ex-athletes generally, through their involvement for a number of years, would have developed a better understanding of what are termed the ‘intangibles’ of a sport.
Do not forget, though, that refereeing requires a lot of hard work and dedication, and you should only sacrifice in a balanced way. It is no secret that refereeing will take a significant amount of time away from your work and family life.
One of the most important aspects of sports refereeing that I try to advocate is appearance. Like in normal day-to-day business, referees are judged on how they look. The expression, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression,” applies especially to sports refereeing. Therefore one’s refereeing clothes and equipment must be neat and pressed, whilst the sports shoes must be polished (in my case since I referee basketball and we use black sneakers).
Apart from that referees could also be judged on how they dress for the game. At a minimum, wear business casual. At no time should one go to a game dressed in, let us say, shorts. I really like the local football referees as they have a nice dress code. In basketball, there is no set dress code (although I urge for one) but at least a number of referees act in a positive way.
Around the world, successful referees work quite hard to build an image of themselves as professionals. Keeping such individuals in mind, new referees should remember that it is a good idea to get started on the right foot.
Unfortunately I have encountered referees who have gone years without purchasing any new clothing and equipment. Generally, if the clothing is washed and ironed regularly, it will last a long time. However, once you notice that the clothing is starting to look dull, do have it replaced as soon as possible because, as I mentioned earlier, it pays to have a nice and outstanding appearance when going on the field of play as people make their first judgment just on appearance.
At the start of his career, the novice referee will try to learn ‘to referee’. It is very important that one follows well any training conducted by the respective association. I always urge beginners to attend every session possible.
Similar to any other activity, it is very important that one learns the basic of the sport as the foundation (but definitely not the only requisite) to any excellent referee is his rules knowledge.
I want to make it clear that I am not stating that one has to be an expert on the rules before one actually referees the first game.
Through my experience I can state that thorough rules knowledge does not arise only from studying them but also from on the job training. I am a strong believer that there is no substitute for getting on the court or field of play and applying the rules to actual games situations.
In my sport (basketball), apart from just the rules, one has to give also a lot of attention to signals and mechanics. One of the key factors when evaluating basketball referees is how the referee looks on the floor/field and in this context shabby mechanics are a definite and big no-no.
A referee that has a clear knowledge of the mechanics is a referee that can make progress faster than others that do not possess the same knowledge. In my lectures to beginners I always point out that while you might not get the call right, selling it with good and crisp signals will help you persuade and convince others that you are right.