Match officials

Referees (as a general term to describe on-field match officials) are a necessary stakeholder for team-based sports to take place. Referees provide a service to the match whereby the rules and regulations are upheld and a safe, predictable competitive environment for participants is encouraged. In fulfilling this mandate, referees need to be educated in applying the rules, be agile and mobile, be good communicators, and be able to make hundreds of decisions per match. Referees can be professional or considered as volunteers. Development pathways exist for referees to progress from umpiring at community level through to the Olympic and professional levels of a sport.