To spectators, referees look like they have the best “free” seat in the house. They’re literally either standing, or sitting, in the front seat closest to the action!

In truth, the role of a referee is a crucial one – depending on the sport, they may be expected to facilitate physical and virtual matches in combat sports (fencing, taekwondo sparring matches), or make judgment calls in other sports that depend on performance (gymnastics, taekwondo patterns and demonstrations). And they must discharge their duties in a fair manner.

To do so, solid knowledge of the rules of their chosen sport is necessary, as well as the willingness and gumption to make unpopular decisions in line with the rules of the game.

It also means that during competitions, referees may have to endure heckling from a crowd that has turned hostile. Some incidents have even crossed the line to physical violence in response to a decision that while unpopular, was fair in the rule book.

This doesn’t even venture close to other external factors that make being a referee hard. For instance, most of the time, referees are the first people in a competition venue, and are also among the last to leave, for the briefing and debriefing.

Moreover, to ensure fairness and neutrality, referees may also be isolated from friends and family for the duration of a competition.

Decisions and actions must be made in seconds as well – if the sport involves physical contact, it’s on the referee’s shoulders to call a medic for aid as soon as possible in the event of an injury. If they’re judging based on performance, they cannot spend too long mulling on how to score a player – it would be unfair to keep the other competitors and referees waiting.

What some spectators also seem to forget is that referees are human too, and they are often expected to uphold high standards and their professional miens while battling tiredness as well as low material benefits…alongside the hiccups that invariably accompany children when they compete.

So, in a nutshell, no, it’s not easy to be a referee. But stay tuned to read about the benefits!