Refereeing

[HBK-aholic]

In almost every sport you watch, there are referees and fans who constantly abuse them. I know from doing so myself. In almost every review of a game, the referees decision comes under scrutiny, from fans who think the referee was completely biased against them, to reporters looking back and seeing a referee made the wrong decision, accidentally no doubt.

Most sports fans have participated in some abuse of a referee during a game, usually when a decision has gone against them, in the form of chanting, or simply hurling abuse at them. During this, referees keep a cool head, and do what they think is right.

What do you think of referees and their decisions? Are they ever really biased, or is it just something fans scream when a decision, usually correctly, didn't go their way?

 

[Italian MVP]

In almost every sport you watch, there are referees and fans who constantly abuse them. I know from doing so myself. In almost every review of a game, the referees decision comes under scrutiny, from fans who think the referee was completely biased against them, to reporters looking back and seeing a referee made the wrong decision, accidentally no doubt.

Most sports fans have participated in some abuse of a referee during a game, usually when a decision has gone against them, in the form of chanting, or simply hurling abuse at them. During this, referees keep a cool head, and do what they think is right.

What do you think of referees and their decisions? Are they ever really biased, or is it just something fans scream when a decision, usually correctly, didn't go their way?

Na, i dont think there bias, its just that the decisions that particular fans think are apparent and evident dont end up coming through and dont go their way. Thats why there is so much abuse of the referees.

But sometimes you have to think to yourself about particular referees being bias or just being plain stupid especially in Rugby League. Numerous times for example tonight in one of the games, a winger scores and it was so evident that it was a try, but after reviewing the play 6 times! they award it no try. Now i dont think there bias, its just they lose their minds sometimes!

Another instance is when a player scores and the replays show its no try, but since the crowd is booing the heck out of the guy, he has no other choice but to award the try, in that instance, yes some form of bias of the referee is illustrated there.

So in general i think the referees are not bias, but it all really depends on the particular circumstances and the view of the fans and supporters watching it on tv, as they might have different views on it.

 

[Pinocchio]

What do you think of referees and their decisions? Are they ever really biased, or is it just something fans scream when a decision, usually correctly, didn't go their way?

Simple answer - Pressure.

If you tried to referee a high profile game you would have to have a lot of mental strength. That's why a lot of the time the home team will get most of the 50/50 decisions in a game I believe anyway.

 

[klunderbunker]

For the most part, referees are fine. However, I refuse to believe there isn't a bit of cheating or bias in there somewhere, it's too much of human nature. There's always been a conspiracy theory that games are fixed, which there has to be a basis for. Somewhere in history, a game has been fixed. Without knowing all the details, one of the most famous is the USSR vs USA in men's basketball. The time went down to zero 3 times I think, and the refs kept resetting the clock until the Soviets won. Fixed? Maybe, but almost too big of a coincidence to ignore. For the most part I'd say theyre clean, but there's no way they always are. The fans don't help things either. Screaming, yelling threats, calling for the ref's head. They're just human after all. Based on every athlete I've ever heard, they don't care if the calls are bad or good, as long as theyre consistent, which also works for me. I'd say the refs are clean most of the time, but not always.

 

[Pinocchio]

I think you've mentioned the most important criteria in the modern sporting world - Consistency. That's why some refs are respected so much by players because, although some times they make bad decisions, most of their decisions are consistent.