Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Leonard
In hindsight I know it wasn't any referee's fault, and upon reviewing match footage and such, I can see why a referee called what they did.
And I think that last part is key- looking at the situation from the referee's point of view. Referees are just trying to enforce a set of rules handed to them. Some are subjective, some are based entirely on intent, and some are called differently event-to-event.
And there aren't a ton of sports where referees never make controversial calls. Even seasoned referees at sports that have been around for ages make mistakes, and you expect referees that learned the game less than 5 months ago, oftentimes a day or two prior to be infallible?
Criticism is okay, as long as it's constructive and considerate, not fueled by anger. Referees are people too, and I don't know a single referee who isn't doing their best to make the right calls at all times.
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All of this. Refs have a hard job, and I can see why refs may miss fouls, and to be honest don't really fault them for it. The majority of refs are fabulous individuals that put a ton of time into understanding how to make the right calls in the right situation in order to keep things being fair.
That being said...
Bad head refs really really grind my gears. If I come up to you with the rule book in my hand to try and convince you of what I consider a correct interpretation of the rules, and the head ref feels the need to make up additional requirements beyond what is written into the ruling or is unable to come up with a reason that I am incorrect, all without changing their interpretation of the rules... That is when I become frustrated with the referees. I interpret that as a "I don't want to admit I am wrong" kind of attitude. It is unfortunate that some head refs with a lot of event experience, knowledge, and respect act this way, and unfortunately I have only had these experiences with a few of the world championship head refs. The guys that are supposed to be the best of the best and be on your side when trying to understand your positioning. These are the kinds of refs that I don't want on my field. I appreciate their contributions, but the execution of their contributions bug me.
tl;dr
97% of refs are awesome, 3% are not, and are unfortunately often in the head ref role
