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Referee – the sole authority of the game
By Vimal Perera
“Thirty players, two touch judges, but only ONE referee and he is the sole arbiter of the rules. He may not be god, but for 80 minutes he is bestowed with similar powers”. Chandra Seneviratne: Two referee solution.

How you give meaning to this statement depends on how you look at it. The referee is not infallible. Therefore he is not god. He is human and can make mistakes. The Laws of the Game recognize that the referee is sole judge of fact and law during the game and in this respect for 80 minutes one must perceive that he is correct in all his decisions. This is a fact that all those involved in the management and administration of the game has to appreciate and accept and must be understood by those who have an interest in the game.

The laws of the sport, rugby, are the most complex of any game. There are 22 laws and some with sub sections. Most players are quite oblivious to these laws and some try to break it all the time. Nevertheless coaches, players, commentators’ analysts and spectators are always expecting consistent application of these complex laws. Yet no two situations are ever identical. The laws require interpretation and sometimes judgments could be subjective.
More than consistency perhaps the important thing is for the referee to ensure that he is in the correct position to see what is happening. At most if not at all times. What may be the best position for a referee? Fifty meters away seated comfortably in the third row of a pavilion seat. That is where you hear most of the comments on the application of the laws. You wonder why there is someone else in the middle with a whistle in hand whereas there are so many better ones in the grandstand. If not they are seated in the officials bench at least forty meters away from play for most of the time.

The better position you are, in the comfort of a chair, or the angle of a camera is not available to the referee. As such it should be appreciated that he is doing the job under conditions which can be most stressful. The referee is either stressed (is he affected by what is happening to him) or is stressful (is he affected by what is happening around him). The referee can be stressed by a variety of factors and include, abuse by coaches, players and spectators. Fear of physical harm etc. The International body for rugby has addressed some of these issues and issued guidelines and or regulations to arrest this trend. Sri Lanka in recent times has taken action by including the code of conduct with the tournament guidelines as well as by appointing match commissioners.

It is necessary to review the effect this has had on improving the conditions that affect a vital arm of the game. It is no secret that there are fewer and fewer interested in taking up the whistle. The man at the centre is becoming a scarce commodity and yet needed with the intention of the game: to give the spectator more and more playing time.

It is not in the best interest of the game to continue to pressurize the referee who is under stress from the time he accepts his assignment. Those who are in authority by virtue of office at National , Club or School level as well as those who are appointed as officials by the governing body has to take a lead in lending a supportive hand. If you are an official and make comments and or gestures that are not in keeping with the code of conduct, a bad example is set. An official however partisan he may be is right in the minds of those die hard supporters of clubs as well as schools.

A better way is to analyze the game of your team and see what is causing the rot than look for the referee as a scapegoat. Average Stoppage is 84.2 and average mistakes for skills are 48.6 or 58 %. The subjective / interpretation aspect of the referee including unplayable rucks and mauls is 36 % taking out stoppages for injuries

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