About Professional Referees

How many times have you hollered at the TV, cursing the refs for a bad call? Referees are an integral part of so many professional sports. Without refs, there wouldn't be a game, match or race. Professional referees performs a host of duties during the course of their work, ranging from checking the condition of the field to mediating arguments between players. Referees must be educated in every aspect of the sport they are officiating.

Significance

Professional sports couldn't exist without referees. As a result, the very best referees train for many years before attempting to get hired as a professional referee. Professional referee jobs are in high demand. In some sports, such as football and basketball, referees work in groups. In contrast, boxing matches only require one referee. Whether in groups or alone, officiating requires each referee to have good communication skills as well as advanced knowledge of the sport.

Time Frame

Many professional referees have performed years of work at the amateur levels. It's not uncommon to have 15 years of on-the-job training at the high school and college levels before working as a professional referee. In addition, many referees have bachelors or higher degrees although the job specifically requires a high school diploma. By far, the most important aspect of professional refereeing is a commitment to fairness.

Function

While we might only see referees blowing their whistle to stop game play, their job description has a much broader scope. Referees start and stop games and keep the official time clock during the game. They closely monitor game play for rule violations, including inadequate equipment. Referees give penalties for rule infractions and observe play for fairness. In addition, professional referees might inspect equipment and the playing field. Referees also must communicate well to players, coaches and the fans. In the case of professional football, referees frequently are called upon to address the fans (and viewing public) to explain penalties and review plays. These situations can be very stressful. Professional referees must be confident in their own abilities to understand the type of game they are officiating as well as feel comfortable with using their own experience to help weigh decisions.

Considerations

Professional referees must travel a great deal, although this tends to be seasonal with the sport. They must also be in good physical condition and able to stand for long periods of time. Physical fitness is a must when trying to get out of the way of game play. Game time conditions aren't always favorable. The weather can greatly affect the working conditions for a professional referee. Good reflexes are a must with the constant need to get out of the way of game play.

Misconceptions

It seems logical that professional referees would be paid as well as professional sport players. This is not the case. A typical referee makes between $2,000-4,000 per NFL game. Remember that this is a seasonal sport that is only played from September to December. Many referees officiate as a part-time job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a referee was $29,850 in 2007.