This week I opted to once again discuss, as has been done in the past in this same column, the importance of having a strong control of the game when refereeing.

If you spend time watching successful referees, across all the sports, you will notice that these referees have a controlled and calm appearance and conduct about them. Their image on the field of play reflects unbelievable confidence, yet it does not come through as arrogance. This ability to diffuse volatile situations is difficult to develop but can yield tremendous rewards.

Along the years and through research one can easily notice that many refereeing careers have been ruined because of arrogant and snobbish behavior. The secret to avoid this is that referees should view themselves as facilitators not enforcers.

While there are surely situations that will demand a tough stance, most will require only a diplomatic approach. Additionally it is acceptable to smile warmly from time-to-time. After all, generally, coaches respect officials who have a sense of humour and know exactly when to use it. Having said this, it is important to repeat that regardless of the situation, referees must always give the appearance that they are in control of the game.

One of the toughest emotional battles for any young referee is to appear comfortable during any tough game situation. Competent veterans (those who have really moved up the ladder due to proving themselves on the job and not just because of age and lack of referees), on the other hand, are generally calm and collected even though they might not have the same physical capabilities as their younger colleagues.

Since my baptism in refereeing I have always learned, in every seminar or clinic I attended, that great referees are able to anticipate problems and rise to the occasion when a tough situation surfaces. After all this is one of the real pre-requisites for efficient refereeing.

In certain other occasions, if the referee opts in fighting back or trying to prove someone wrong, the result would possibly be like adding fuel to the fire. Instead, top instructors strive to teach that it is best to counter an emotional situation with a calm and professional approach.

Emotion is part of the game (referees who have played the game can easily understand this whereas other who have not might find it difficult to understand what a player feels). We must give players and coaches the opportunity to react to a situation but this must be controlled very easily.

The referee must strive to be consistent in the way players are disciplined, a crucial factor in certain matches. To cite a simple example, if the referee cautions a player from one team for delay of the game, the same referee should do the same to a player of the other side who may delay the game later on the day.

Since the creation of referees, consistency has always been mentioned as a factor which must be sought by all those who control matches of any kind. It has also been the source of great criticism from the outside environment towards referees.

Many people, especially those who never experienced sports at an adequate level, cannot understand the real meaning of consistency and think that it is just a matter of simple logic. However this is far from the truth as consistency demands a high level of preparation as well as a high level of personal logic and common sense from the part of a referee.

Most sports disciplines are so dynamic that it is unlikely that a situation will ever present itself again exactly in the same manner, not only within the same game but ever.

All the members of the officiating team must work on the same ‘wavelength’. This implies that the referee should also make sure that his partners or assistants follow his lead on calling fouls.

Despite saying this (please note that this column was written also through references from the specialised magazine ‘Referee’) and however hard a referee tries to be consistent and as fair and logical as possible, the harsh and inconsiderate reality remains that referees may never appear consistent to those who do not understand the intricacies and particulars of each respective sports discipline.

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