FAHA: Referee/Volunteer Screening?

[FotoPlasma]

I can think of a related situation (but in an opposite fashion) that happened to my team, last season (2003). We were competing at the Silicon Valley Regional, and one of our college mentors was reffing. We all realized that it would be a conflict of interests if he were to try to ref our matches (naturally), so he voluntarilly sat out each of our matches.

I think that this is a more than adequate way to try to reduce the amount of bias, whether it be positive or negative, of the refs for any given team. Perhaps if a team has any concerns about the biases of the refs, they might be able to ask either the Head Ref or some of the other refs if they might ask the possibly biased ref if he would graciously sit out a given match, due to a team's concern or for a known history, as it were.

I don't think any rules need to be made, and even if any were, how effective they may be, but I also think that, generally, people can be fairly reasonable. I think that, if a ref of questionable objectivity were confronted about it, they would calmly and quietly sit out a match, especially if confronted by a well-informed colleague.