Referees are one of the only authority figures that it is perceived as okay to yell at, criticize, and hate openly and unapologetically.
This leads to disrespect from players, coaches, and spectators and increasingly has led to referee burnout across the country and around the world.
But what if there was a way to change this perception? What if things could change so that officials weren’t just objects to hate, but instead, they could be understood as a partner on the field to appreciate?
For so long, people have boxed referees in as these cold-hearted and cruel tyrants out there to rule over the game and punish anything out of line.
While maintaining order is one aspect of a referee’s necessity, one that is entirely overlooked is that they are actually there to protect the players own interests. A referee is in fact the only person with the authority to stop a game if a player is injured or fatigued.
A referee is the only neutral party there looking out for the individual players. A coach may overlook or even risk a player’s wellbeing in the name of competition, but only the referee can be the ombudsman for the players themselves.
Once players, coaches, and parents rethink this role of the referee, it is amazing how much easier games become to referee.
This is just one aspect of the concept of Positive Refereeing, but it is a foundational one, and one we will continue to build upon in this series.
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘referee’?