Where Ignorance is Bliss
The first stage is pure enjoyment, usually based on ignorance of the finer points of the refereeing trade. The referee, revelling in his new found authority and exhilarating in his immunity from bruising contest, cheerfully tooting his whistle to no particular purpose.

His attention is frequently focused on the ball, thus he tends to miss much of the action around him. If he were fully aware of the potential difficulties and danger that surrounded him, he would probably opt for a less challenging hobby. Novice referees tend to leave the offside law to the individual consciences of the participants; play is often ragged, pile-ups continue too long, fringers fringe and thugs thug.


Because such matches frequently involve teams having lesser levels of skill, the players may have a grand time and at the postmatch dinner, comments such as, “He’s a good ref, he lets the boys play the game” help swell the novice referee’s ego. Unfortunately, these comments also give him a false sense of security.

Follow up:

The Valley of Death
Now he avidly reads the law book, probably the first time. He fits the words to situations he has experienced. With detailed knowledge comes a little unconscious pedantry. Whatever he might read from or into the law book, he applies rigidly. His dictum is, “the law is the law”!

On the pitch, he sets an inflexible standard, which he demands not only of himself but also of the players. To more experienced referees, the symptoms are obvious. The disease is apparent. The atmosphere in the bar after the match can become a great deal less cordial. Players and spectators are less impressed. The referee on the other hand is perplexed. He is proud of his knowledge and skills are improving, yet the very people who loved him earlier, are now less kind.



The Dawn of Redemption

This valley may be deep and dark, and it can be long; but after every night a first finger of sunlight reaches the valley floor, announcing the coming of the dawn. In this case, it is the realization by the individual referee that his primary task is not to enforce the letter of the laws, but to help the players to enjoy a wonderful sport.


To achieve this, the referee must not only know the Laws thoroughly, but he must also understand the reasons behind them.
He must know how and when each law should be applied, not merely demonstrate his knowledge, but to promote competition and skill of which those players are capable within the constraints of fairness and safety. He must become a student of the game; he must observe how players in different positions develop different styles and how each phase of play interacts. The referee’s true reward is the satisfaction of having done the job well.



Source: IRB - by email