Referees play a very important task on the court. They ensure the smooth running of the game by keeping the behavior and conduct of the players in check. Besides this, they also regulate the game to ensure that all the rules are followed. Referees are trained to follow and observe the game and develop a mental model of it as the game develops. They have to be aware of the attitude and aggressiveness of the players, the fans, and the coach. The ability to understand and act based on these situations is imperative towards being a good referee. Although a referee is important to the game, they are hardly noticed. In fact, a good referee is one that people focus less on. The referee must know how to ensure that the game flows as smooth as possible. Thus, the attention should be more on the players rather than the referee.

However, sometimes referees make mistakes as well. There are times when we as coaches view referees as being inconsistent and even unfair. Of course, in these situations, we will feel like talking to the referee. Sometimes, coaches lose their temper and get aggressive towards the referee. This kind of conduct is not only unsportsmanlike but will also put your team in a bad situation. Therefore, communicating with referees in a constructive way is a must. This is not only good for your side alone; in fact, communicating to the referee in a constructive manner is beneficial towards the flow of the game as a whole.

Sometimes, incidents such as fouls are viewed from different perspectives and angles. Therefore, there are times when we believe that the referee made a bad call. Also, if you believe that the referee is not making calls when he should, the chances are that he didn’t even see it in the first place. A constructive way of assisting letting him know of this is by telling him about the incident yourself. Sometimes, referees pay less attention to complaints from the players on the court. Thus, if you could, try and approach the referee in the most polite way that you can. Besides this, you could also approach the assistant referee to address this issue.

There can also be times when you would have to face a really bad referee. In this situation, the golden rule that you must hold on to is never to argue with this kind of referee. Doing this might just cause you to get expelled from the bench for dissent. In addition to this, when you constantly argue with the referee and nag him, he might just become even more of a nightmare.

However, it doesn’t mean that you cannot talk to them. No matter how bad the referee is, always try to approach him politely. For example, if the referee made a bad call, instead of going at him with criticism, ask politely for clarification. This approach will cause the referee to reflect on his decision without you directly criticizing them.

If you believe that there is something awfully wrong with the way a referee presides over your game, you can’t do much about it during the game. In fact, some teams have suffered shocking losses because of bad refereeing. The best thing that you can do next is to submit a formal complaint to the governing body of the league or tournament that your team plays in. This will ensure that the referee gets the message and that the quality of his refereeing will improve.

In all, it is very important that you have to approach the referees in a constructive way. Doing this will improve the flow and fairness of the match as a whole. However, doing the opposite might just be bad for your team and will cause more disruptions in the game.