this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2023
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The way to make refereeing better at the top level long term is to improve the conditions for grass roots reffing
No one wants to ref, the pay is shit for what you have to deal with. The only people that do it are power trip or "love of the game" people. You get more grass roots refs, you get a bigger pool for advancement, you get better quality refs filtering up.
Of course that's very long term and it'll take years for grass roots refs starting now to reach the pro leagues. But that's how you solve the root of the problem, as opposed to band aid solutions for the top level, which may not even work.
This is a great idea.
In the competitive youth leagues where my kids play, we have a handful of teenagers learning to become referees. I see these refs as playing football, but in a different way. Often they are excellent in their roles, especially when you get ones that have found their confidence and don't mind telling the occasional rowdy parent to take a hike. There are lots of kids that are athletic and rule-oriented that would be perfect for being in the game as refs - especially the kids that love the sport but don't want to bump bodies and push boundaries too much. The kid refs make pretty good money as well ($50/game, IIRC - not bad way to roll into Saturday night, beats bagging groceries). Parents should be educated about these opportunities by the local clubs - it would really help over the long-term.