After once again watching the first few games of the high school season (tournament-related), I'd like to make a respectful recommendation to referees. Before doing this, let me state my continuing thanks that the folks who are doing this are doing it -- they have not only my thanks but my admiration.
Also let me state that 99% of the time at the Viking Cup this weekend the referees did a fantastic job -- and I personally never saw anyone mess up to a degree that could potentially change the outcome of a game.
There are two absolutely core duties that I'd ask that referees consider first and foremost. First, you need to call the game the way you see it rather than not calling it the way you see it. What do I mean by that? I was at one in-bracket game in which the referees continually told a handful of players to stop climbing on player's backs and doing some other things. They didn't call it -- they just kept telling the players to stop. The players -- no dummies, they -- kept doing it realizing it wasn't getting called. It got worse and worse until there was a situation in which a kid's health was endangered. I have no problem with physical games -- but call the fouls you see rather than expecting your advice to be taken seriously when you don't think enough of the event to call it.
Secondly, call the games consistently. At the Wando Lexington final, in the last 20 minutes the referees called a few fouls against Wando that had the Wando players absolutely astounded. And they had a right to be astounded -- they'd been playing that way for 60 minutes and the referees had happily not called any of the exact same things that they were doing. I know that there's a tremendous discretion on the part of the referees -- and what I think of as a foul might not be a foul to one referee (and might be a yellow to another referee) -- but keep it consistent so that the players can figure out how you're calling the game and play within the constraints you've set.
(Note: Let me again make something clear I've already said -- this in no way contributed to the final score -- Wando deserved their win that day -- no if's, and's, or but's.)
Again, thanks to all those that contributed their time and energy -- I absolutely thought that the refereeing on the whole was excellent and again admire and respect those that contributed their time to do it.
