4.3 60 Track and lane referees operate in competitions where athletes race in their own track or lane, for example in running or swimming. Technique violations are errors in performing a certain technique in some sports, such as running, racewalking, or swimming. Where are field referees generally employed? REFEREEING You don t notice the referee during the game unless he makes a bad call. Drew Curtis DUTIES OF A REFEREE Who is a referee? A referee is an official in a match, game, or sport event who is responsible for ensuring that the competition is performed according to the rules and regulations of the sport concerned. Referees are the ultimate authority in the competition and their decisions cannot be discussed. Referees can be appointed either to games or matches or to individual sport competitions; their duties may vary according to the event they are assigned to. start and stop play: referees initiate and stop the game, also in case of injuries, substitutions, or to give penalties; Refereeing matches or games In matches, a referee has to: ensure safety: referees have to intervene in dangerous play that could lead to injuries; ensure the correct behaviour of all participants: the referee must ensure that players, coaches, and participants respect the sports laws and avoid cheating. This involves making judgment calls on fouls, violations, penalties, and scoring; communicate decisions: referees must use specific signals and gestures to convey their rulings to players, coaches, and spectators in a clear way; maintain order and discipline: referees have to manage the players conduct, sanctioning unsportsmanlike behaviour, arguments, or any actions that go against the spirit of the game. manage time: referees have to keep track of time to stop the game at the end of game halves or quarters, and record any added time, ensuring the game has the correct duration; work with other officials as a team: in many sports, referees work as part of a larger officiating group, collaborating with assistant referees, linesmen, or judges to cover all aspects of the game effectively. Refereeing individual sports competitions Referees in individual sports also ensure fairness and integrity, safeguarding the athletes well-being. In these cases, they are often committed to different roles, among which: starters: they give racers the start signal ensuring a fair start and sanctioning false starts; track or lane referees : they oversee the correct development of competitions, disqualifying athletes committing track or technique violations ; to appoint: designare judgement call: decisione discrezionale ruling: arbitraggio unsportsmanlike: antisportivo 118 PHYSICAL EDUCATION field referees : they ensure proper technique in field events, measure distances accurately, and confirm legal attempts; time-keepers and finish judges: they determine official time and finish order.