I believe this is indeed a step in the correct direction. I haven’t taken notes during a match since 2011. If I’m not doing it, and another referee is, we aren’t watching the game in the same way. Referees should make calls immediately as they see them, and then move on to the rest of the match. Dwelling on each means missing other things.
Let’s look at this game from the perspective of a referee. The refs are in charge of scoring again this year, and there are only so many eyes to go around (all fouls and outer works scoring are manual this year). The refs will be taxed enough trying to keep score and keep play in line. Personally, I’d rather have a ref lose track of which foul they called than miss a defense crossing due to writing it down.
The training and testing the referees take is thorough, and the head referees are better informed than ever. FIRST had all the head referees up at the NH scrimmage to discuss how their crews would call fouls this year. That’s brand new!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Kaneb
...please talk to the head referee if you do not understand a call. Qualification matches especially are the time to bring up concerns or confusion. I have heard too often the question within a team "should I ask the head referee about this?" The answer is yes. Once the head referee has heard your question, they'll let you know whether that's how the situation is or if there is a different resolution.
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The refs are volunteers. They’re not vindictive monsters out to rig matches. If you ask about fouls, they’ll be able to help you and explain what happened. It’s their job. This change is to allow refs to do exactly that, their job.
Take this opportunity to know the rules, study up, and present an educated argument if you ever need to enter the question box.