What Refs should learn
I was not around in the final gamedate of the Mayor Rody-Inday Sara All-Media basketball tournament last Sunday afternoon as I was waging a different battle in my Mock Bar Examination room. It was the second Sunday that I missed the tournament and it happened on those crucial games.
However, I am glad to know that my team, White, won third place in the tournament. The Reds went all the way to clinch the title beating Team Black.
ABS-CBN anchor Allan Abais, during the Maayong Buntag Mindanao program last Monday, expressed his thanks and personal sentiments about the tournament. Allan plays for Team Black and he is one of the team’s trusted standouts. Allan plays forward and has a good shooting touch.
But Allan’s most memorable shot was thrown Monday against the referees whom he thought were the only weak spot in the tournament.
In substance, Allan’s point is worth considering. In fact, I share the same sentiments with Allan.I have my own sad experience with these refs too.
In fairness to the referees, I pretty well understand the difficult task of officiating. In many occasions, referees are the easy scapegoats for losing. As they say, “kasama na sa trabaho yan.” However, I guess it is about time that we take refereeing seriously and judiciously.
I believe that officiating should be, at all times, fair but firm. Just like my favorite referee in boxing Joe Cortez. Being fair doesn’t mean being indecisive. On the other hand, being firm does not also mean being too rigid and not allowing for some democratic considerations.
I remember one professional basketball player who said: “I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust 'em.” Funny but true.
The point is, the refs are supposed to be the judges of the game. As judges, they must lay decisions only upon clear and valid grounds. And even when they call it, they should not be so oversensitive when players appeal their case.
By appealing their case, I am talking about a player asking why the call went that way. Is that wrong? Is that being disrespectful?
For example, you questioned a foul called by one referee. From what I learn, a flagrant foul is when a defensive player goes after the man instead of the ball with intent to harm or use parts of his body illegally to prevent the offensive player from scoring.
Instead, you get a technical foul in the process for mere appealing your case. Is that going overboard? Is mere asking for an explanation a ground for a technical foul? I wonder why.
Where even our courts of justice afford an appeal, why can’t these court judges accommodate an appeal?
I do not mean anything against the referees. I respect them highly for their profession. Without them, sports will not be complete. But they must understand that knowledge of the game should be shared. It should not make them more superior over players just because they are better schooled in officiating.
I thank Allan for making the very honest remark. Things like this only make us strive harder to improve our work. This should not be taken by the referees as an affront. Instead, they should take this as a lesson to learn. Sometimes, you may know the rules too well, but that is not enough. You need to know the game as well.
Afterall, sportsmen are eternal students of the game.
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