{"id":2067,"date":"2018-07-29T00:27:08","date_gmt":"2018-07-29T07:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.socaldivision.org\/?p=2067"},"modified":"2018-07-29T22:31:27","modified_gmt":"2018-07-30T05:31:27","slug":"the-referee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socaldivision.org\/the-referee\/","title":{"rendered":"The Referee"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Referee Bill Gelnaw checks the point of Lucas Schrimsher at the Modern Pentathlon World Cup in Pomona, California, February 24, 2017.<\/p><\/div>\n

What is a referee?<\/b><\/p>\n

A <\/span>referee<\/span><\/i> or simply <\/span>ref<\/span><\/i> is the person of authority in a variety of sports who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on-the-fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. \u2013 Wikipedia<\/p>\n

I love that this definition mentions sportsmanship. Fencing emphasizes sportsmanship in so many ways. I value this emphasis on sportsmanship, and believe it is important for my son to understand what sportsmanship really means.<\/p>\n

Sportsmanship<\/i> is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors.<\/p>\n

There is a reason why a fencer salutes the referee at the beginning of the bout. And why a fencer shakes hands with the referee at the conclusion of the bout. These gestures, the salute and the handshake, signify the respect that the fencer must show throughout the bout, to his opponent, the ref, and the sport itself. The salute to the ref at the beginning is recognition of the role the ref plays, and the authority he has on the strip. The handshake at the end means, \u201cThank you. I respect the work you did enforcing the rules and presiding over the bout.\u201d<\/p>\n

I appreciate that there is a dress code for referees, in sort of the same way that there is a uniform for fencers. Referees almost always dress well, a coat and tie for men, a skirt or slacks for women. This shows an attitude of respect towards the sport, the fencers, and the important role the referee plays in the world of fencing.<\/p>\n

Who are these referees?<\/b><\/p>\n

They are you.<\/p>\n

Fencing referees are mostly fencers who got involved in refereeing or fencing parents who got involved in refereeing. Several fencing parents who started refereeing, either to help (a small amount) with the expense of fencing, or because they wanted something to do while at tournaments with their fencers, have continued to referee long after their fencers have left for college or even left the sport of fencing altogether. They enjoy the sport, the people, and the travel. They get paid very little. No ref is in this for the money. Some referees have had amazing fencing careers. Some referees have never fenced. It\u2019s not necessary to have any previous experience as a fencer before becoming a ref. George Porter, for example, is one of the top refs in our Division, yet he never competed as a fencer.<\/p>\n

If you are standing behind a referee in the security line at the airport on the way to a NAC, or checking in at a hotel, if you find yourself getting into an elevator with one, introduce yourself. Say, \u201cHello.\u201d They appreciate it. And they have a lot they can teach parents and fencers, and some great stories.<\/p>\n

You will discover, as your fencer competes, that you will see the same refs at many different tournaments. Some of the local refs are also refereeing on the national and international level. If they are on the international circuit, they have gone through a lot of training and have a lot of experience. Often, the lesser experienced are reffing in local tournaments, getting a sense of what goes into refereeing, making the calls, defending calls, and learning to interpret the rules. Older fencers will often have their first reffing experience at their own club, refereeing younger fencers at an unrated tournament.<\/p>\n

Much like young fencers learning how to fence, you may also encounter young referees on your fencer\u2019s strip, learning how to ref. Be patient with these kids. They might grow into great referees. Support them. Don\u2019t yell at them or argue with them heatedly. If you have a question about a call, ask it. And then listen, respectfully, to the explanation. But don\u2019t humiliate the young ref, berate him, or chastise her. If it is a misunderstanding of a rule, if for example, you think the young ref has misunderstood the meaning of \u201cone action\u201d for example, talk to the bout committee (quietly) after the bout is over, and suggest that someone might want to review that particular rule with the ref. You might also discover that in fact you were the one who has misunderstood the rule\u2014another good reason not to get upset in front of your fencer and make a scene. Also, if you have a problem with a young referee reffing your fencer\u2019s bout, say if it is a semifinal of an RYC, for example, prior to the bout, you can go to the bout committee and voice your concerns about his or her experience at this level of competition. Otherwise, do your part in helping to encourage the ref. Support his or her efforts, recognizing that he might be nervous, or she might be shy.<\/p>\n

The Referee and Your Fencer\u2019s Safety<\/b><\/p>\n

Believe it or not, one of the referee\u2019s tasks is to make sure that your fencer is safe. This means not just those tricky corps \u00e0 corps calls, but also making sure jackets are zipped up, mask bibs are down, shoes are tied, etc. The referee understands that a hole in a sock could potentially catch a sword tip and cause some serious physical damage. I have been sent on a frantic search for a safety pin because the Velcro on the jacket is no longer working. I wasn\u2019t happy about it, but I recognized that it was a safety issue, not that the ref was trying to keep my son from fencing. (By the way, I always have a safety pin or two with me, now.) If a referee asks that something be fixed on a uniform, fix it. And thank him.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ball and Strike\u2019 Calls<\/b><\/p>\n

Like a baseball umpire, a fencing referee has to make judgment calls on many rulings that are close (can be decided either way). As an example, what one referee would call \u201csimple and immediate\u201d (the one action rule), another would determine as not completed in one motion or too late after the opponent went out of the strip. The rule itself may be clear (just like the strike zone in baseball), but a quick, definitive ruling (which is required) on a close call will often get one set of fencer, coach and parents outraged. Every batter striking out feels that the pitch was out of the strike zone, and every pitcher walking a batter feels that the pitch was right-down-the-middle\u2014when a ruling can go either way, depending on the referee, one will be right and the other will be wrong. That\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n

I think refs appreciate it when fencers acknowledge touches that are questionable (like that \u2018floor\u2019 touch that you know really hit your foot). Likewise, fencers should inform the ref if they think they were awarded a touch that they really didn\u2019t deserve (e.g., getting a point for hitting the floor and the ref awarded it as a toe touch). This is a sign of good sportsmanship. Eventually, you will probably see all of the top fencers do this. They understand, after years of competing, that winning is important but it is also important how you win.<\/p>\n

Bias<\/b><\/p>\n

There are specific guidelines restricting a referee from directing a bout that he\/she may have conflicting interests in (same club, relationship, etc.). Generally speaking, a referee directing a bout does not see the individual fencers, but only the fencing actions. Thus, fencers should recognize that a call, even a wrong call, was based on what the referee believed he\/she saw in the sequence between \u201cfence\u201d and \u201chalt\u201d\u2014not who a fencer is. If there are legitimate questions of bias, those should be addressed with the bout committee, of course. But, mistakes by a referee sometimes happen during fast and pressure-filled action, just like a fencer\u2019s own fencing is not perfect in such circumstances either.<\/p>\n

Referee as Teacher<\/b><\/p>\n

I have seen wonderful lessons in action watching interactions between some referees and fencers. One young fencer gave his opponent the finger on the strip. Black card. Which is of course the appropriate response. But that wasn\u2019t the end of the story. A black card certainly got the point (slight pun there) across, but this wonderful referee went a bit further. He had the fencer sit next to him at the bout committee table for the rest of the event, as fencers checked in for other events, returned bout slips, etc. and gave him some wonderful lessons about how the tournament works, scoring, and other advice.<\/p>\n

I love the March NAC because it is focused on the younger fencers, Y10, Y12, and Y14 only. This is the first NAC for many fencers and a learning experience in so many ways. The referees know this too. Often, they take extra time to explain to the fencers some of the rules and expectations. I\u2019ve seen a ref explain how pool bouts work and how important it is for a fencer to listen for his name and to be ready. You can literally see fencers growing in confidence from the first day of check in to the final day of competition. The referee has a lot to do with this transformation. A referee can ref your fencer\u2019s bouts for years, showing up at local, regional, national, and even international events. And referees get to know the fencers. They watch with genuine interest as fencers become successful and they want fencers to succeed.<\/p>\n

Attend a Referee Clinic<\/b><\/p>\n

If you really want to understand some of the finer, more intricate points of fencing calls and reffing, attend a clinic. And have your fencer do one as well. You will learn so much. It is a complicated sport. And all three weapons have very different rules. Once you start to be able to see some of the finer points of fencing in action, (in epee that might be passing or one action for example), you will have more appreciation for the role the referee plays in the life of the bout on the strip. Once you put yourself in the position of making calls, and having people around you disagree with you, you will have more empathy for the ref. And, who knows, you might decide, like many other parents, that you enjoy reffing and being a part of this wonderful world of fencing, competition and sportsmanship.<\/p>\n

Fencers should be a referee for a tournament (many local tournaments have self-ref opportunities). When a fencer experiences making difficult judgment calls as a referee, he\/she comes to the realization that refereeing a bout is not easy. In every difficult or \u201cclose\u201d call, each fencer feels strongly that the ruling should be in his\/her favor, resulting in one side being convinced that the referee made the wrong ruling.<\/p>\n

Respecting the Referee<\/b><\/p>\n

I recently heard two things that I found disturbing.<\/p>\n