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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'.

Contents

Origin

Examples

Australian rules football

Baseball

Basketball

Boxing

Cricket

Fencing

Field hockey

Football (American and Canadian)

Football (association)

Ice hockey

Lacrosse

Mixed martial arts

Rugby

Touch football

Tennis

Volleyball

Wrestling (amateur)

Wrestling (professional)

Attire

See also

Origin

The term referee originated in association football (soccer). 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 (now assistant referees). Today, in many amateur football matches, each side will still supply their own partisan assistant referees (still commonly called club linesmen) to assist the neutral referee appointed by the governing football association.

Examples

Australian rules football

An umpire is an official in the sport of Australian rules football. Games are overseen by one to three Field Umpires, two Boundary Umpires, and two Goal Umpires.

Baseball

In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game. Multiple umpires—usually two, three or four, but sometimes six for championship games—are typically assigned to a game.

Basketball

In international basketball and in college basketball, the referee is the lead official in a game, and is assisted by either one or two umpires. In the National Basketball Association, the lead official is referred to by the term ''crew chief'' and the two other officials are ''referees''. All of the officials in a basketball game are generally accepted to have the same authority as the lead official and therefore they are collectively known as the ''officials'' or sometimes, misleadingly, the ''referees''.

Boxing

Cricket

Main articles: Match referee, Umpire (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

Main articles: Fencing (sport)

A fencing match is presided over by a referee.

Field hockey

An umpire in field hockey is a person with the authority to make decisions on a hockey field in accordance with the laws of the game. Each match is controlled by two such umpires.

Football (American and Canadian)

Main articles: Official (American football)

An American football (or Canadian football) referee is responsible for the general supervision of the game and has the final authority on all rulings. He is assisted by up to six other officials on the field. These officials are commonly referred to as "referees" but each has a title based on position and responsibilities during the game: Referee, Head Linesman, Line Judge, Umpire, Back Judge, Side Judge, and Field Judge.

Football (association)

Main articles: Referee (football), Assistant referee, Fourth official

An association football (soccer) 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" (Law 5). The referee is assisted by two assistant referees, and sometimes by a fourth official.

Ice hockey

Main articles: 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 referees, a chief bench official (CBO), and a bench manager. Many leagues use a two or three referee system and omit the bench officials.

Mixed martial arts

Rules in mixed martial arts bouts are enforced by a referee who can give warnings and disqualifications should the rules be broken. The referee is also in charge of stopping fights when a fighter "cannot intelligently defend himself" in order to prevent him from incurring further damage, as well as making sure that submissions are released following a tapout and to pull fighters off an unconscious opponent. The referee is advised by a doctor and assistant referee who sit ringside.

Rugby

Both codes of rugby football are controlled by an onfield referee assisted by two touch judges, and often a video referee. The referee and the touch judges cannot be contradicted by any player, but captains may discuss calls with them.

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 also different from that of other types of rugby because even at international level, there is no video referee.

Tennis

A tennis referee is an off-court official.

Volleyball

A volleyball match is presided over by a first referee, who observes action from a stand, providing a clear view of action above the net and looking down into the court. The second referee, who assists the first referee, is at floor level on the opposite side of the net—and in front of the scorers' table. (In United States high school competition, the officials are called the referee and umpire, respectively.)

Wrestling (amateur)

The international styles of amateur 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.
Collegiate wrestling uses a single referee in the center of the mat, or a head referee and an assistant.

Wrestling (professional)

See Referee (professional wrestling).

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 (even if newer, alternative uniforms are increasingly used). 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

★ Timekeeper