Referee
A referee is a person who has authority to make decisions about play in many sports. Officials in some sports are known by a variety of other titles, including umpire,
judge or
linesman.
Encyclopedia
A
referee is a person who has authority to make decisions about play in many sports. Officials in some sports are known by a variety of other titles, including umpire,
judge or
linesman.
Origin
The term referee originated in
association football . Originally the team captains would consult with each other in order to resolve any dispute on the pitch. Eventually this role was delegated to an
umpire. Each team would bring their own partisan umpire allowing the team captains to concentrate on the game. Later, the referee, a third "neutral" official was added, this
referee would be "referred to" if the umpires could not resolve a dispute. The referee did not take his place on the pitch until 1891, when the umpires became linesmen . Today, in many amateur football matches, each side will still supply their own partisan assistant referees to assist the neutral referee appointed by the governing football association.
Examples
Basketball
A
basketball referee is the highest official in a game. He is assisted by either one or two umpires, although umpires are generally accepted to have the same authority as the referee and therefore they are collectively known as the
officials or sometimes, misleadingly, the referees.
Boxing
Cricket
In
cricket, the match referee is an off-field official who makes judgements concerning the reputable conduct of the game and hands out penalties for breaches of the ICC Cricket Code of Conduct. On-field decisions relevant to the play and outcome of the game itself are handled by two on-field umpires, although an off-field
third umpire may help with certain decisions.
Fencing
A fencing match is presided over by a referee.
Football
An
American football referee is responsible for the general supervision of the game and has the final authority on all rulings. He is assisted by six other officials on the field. These officials are commonly referred to as "Referees" but each has a title based on their position. The officials consist of: Referee, Head Linesman, Line Judge, Umpire, Back Judge, Side Judge, and Field Judge.
Football
An
association football match is presided over by a referee, whom the Laws of the Game give "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" . The referee is assisted by two assistant referees, and sometimes by a
fourth official.
Ice hockey
Games of
ice hockey are presided over by on-ice referees, who are generally assisted by on-ice linesmen. The combination of officials used may vary from league to league.
Lacrosse
A Lacrosse match is presided over by an onfield head referee, two onfield referee and a chief bench official .
Rugby
Both codes of
rugby football are controlled by an onfield referee assisted by two touch judges, and often a video referee.
Touch football
Touch football has a concept new to the art of refereeing. There is still an on-field referee, however, they are aided by two sideline referees, who interchange, like players, every chance they get. Touch Refereeing is very different to that of other sports because even at International Level, there is no Video Referee
Tennis
A
tennis referee is an off-court official.
Wrestling
The international styles of
sport wrestling use a three-official system in which a referee conducts the action in the center of the mat while a judge and a mat chairman remain seated and evaluate the action from their stationary vantage points.
Wrestling
See
Referee .
Attire
Referees typically wear clothing to distinguish themselves from the players. Such uniforms may be distinctive, and some traditional uniforms have come to be symbolically associated with the position . Notable examples include the traditional black uniform worn by association football referees, or the vertical black and white stripes worn by referees in many North American sports.
See also
