“Referees are biased – they have all had a bad experience – if you have played for a school – there is no way you will get a fair deal.”
“With the bias, the ref can’t come from the same area. Like one game we were playing Otago Boys and that guy had been from Otago Boys’ the year beforehand, so oh well, of course he’s going to be biased.”
I guess that’s an end to this chapter!
But seriously, the teens’ feedback suggests too many referees are listening to the crowd, rather than communicating with the teams about decisions. Teens also criticised referees for being in the wrong spot, getting calls wrong and lacking consistency.
A little harsh no doubt, but it’s another small feature of the game that frustrates them. Their perception of bias will interfere with game time and the referee is central to ensuring fairness, so any perception of bias will put teens off.
According to the teens, there is an easy fix: ensure referees are well trained and qualified, and don’t come from either of the schools playing on the day. These, I believe, are all valid and achievable points.
