Getting To Know More About Referees And Why Most Sports Need Them
A sports event will not be complete if one can’t hear sports fanatics cursing a referee for a bad call. Referees-who are also known as umpires, judges, arbiters, arbitrators, linesmen, timekeeper, or touch judge-are almost always present in organized sports activities. Despite that, many are still arguing if their presence is really necessary.
The Merriam Dictionary defines the word “referee” as “a sports official usually having final authority in administering a game”. In practice, he is the person who enforces the adopted rules of an organized sports activity. That is, he acts as a judicial figure that is expected to implement the laws of the game with total honesty, integrity, courage, fairness, and common sense. Aside from this, his job description also includes a host of other activities that range from mediating arguments between players to ensuring the condition of the game field.
Many professional sports activities today cannot exist without referees. In boxing, for example, the referee enforces the rules during the fight. He is the one who provides instructions to the players, starts and stops the count when a player is down, or makes the decision to stop a fight when he deems that one of the players is no longer capable of continuing the fight. In football, on the other hand, the referee provides general supervision for the game and has the final authority on all rulings. Other sports activities that employ services of a referee are basketball, cricket, fencing, mixed martial arts, and tennis.
Many ask why they are needed-or if they really are necessary-in sports activities. As was above stated, many sports activities cannot exist without referees. This is primarily because the world of athletics is filled with occurrences such as infractions, fouls, and offenses that can only be identified and managed by a well-trained referee. They are also the one’s responsible in analyzing the totality of circumstances and are the ones who decide whether to stop the play or allow the game to flow on. They also closely monitor not only rule violations but also inadequate equipment. Other sports activities also require referees to explain penalties and review plays to the viewing public.
However, despite the aforementioned functions that referees play in organized sports activities, many still ask if they really are necessary. With the advancements in technology, many more individuals are wondering if “human” referees can be replaced with computer systems. In tennis, for example, computer systems were adapted to eliminate the biases and mistakes of “human” referees, and so far, have been working successfully as referees discerning real time infractions during a match. Nonetheless, many sports enthusiasts believe that computer systems are yet to be advanced to be able to discern real time occurrences such as holding and tripping rules common in many team and contact sports.
With the huge responsibility of referees in organized sports events, aspiring ones are required to learn as much as possible about the sports event they want to facilitate. Also, to become a professional in the field, it is necessary to take classes in communication, management, leadership, and motivation, where one may develop the characteristics of a successful referee.
Despite the opposing arguments regarding their necessity, one can’t deny the importance of referees in many sports activities. This can be proven by the numerous successful sporting events in various countries worldwide.