I
f your referee seems more like courtside scenery—
think again.
It takes a lot of skill to achieve a referee’s zen-like
status of non-being. Invisibility is the desired effect and
players shouldn’t notice any other effects from their
presence.
“Good referees recognize that the match is about the
players. Most players are out there playing pickleball as
their hobby, enjoying the sport. Our goal is to make sure
that’s what they do. It’s about helping players have fun,”
explains Christine Barksdale, USAPA’s Managing Director,
Competition & Athlete Programs. “I like to think referees
are there to help keep the match on flow. They make sure
people are following the rules, that players are in the right
position and call them when they’re not.”
Overall, the USAPA’s outlook on referees is that they
are a definite asset to each and every match, whether
it’s national, regional or local play. To that end, the
organization has set up an official program designed to
cultivate new referees worldwide so that any match, no
matter how small, can benefit from having an official
overseeing gameplay. The staff has created a video
training program that works in conjunction with a
certification test to vet applicants. People interested in
becoming a referee can review the materials on their
own time and mentor locally with an established referee
to earn certification.
“One of the goals of the USAPA
is that we really want to localize
and regionalize the referee training
program. We’re implementing official referee training
courses, which will be free and available across the
country. Applicants can learn to referee and become
helpful even for local tournaments,” Barksdale says.
“Growing referees locally in everybody’s hometown and
training referees is important to game flow and fairness.
We really want to make sure everybody is on the same
playing ground no matter where they are.”
All referees carry a rulebook, a casebook that highlights
decisions on unique situations, and are encouraged to
carry “go-bags” with extra pencils,
clipboards, balls, measuring
tape to measure net height
before a match, erasers and
a stopwatch.
But confidence is the
most important tool they
can’t afford to leave at
home.
Continued on next page >
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 |
MAGAZINE
43