Player safety in sports

Many serious injuries that athletes suffer come from sports with considerable player-to-player contact, such as soccer, basketball, and football. I believe that a large number of these injuries occur in situations where referees call the game too loosely, causing players to behave more aggressively. To prevent this, I believe that referees in these sports should be careful with how they call the game. Specifically, they need to walk the fine line between calling the games close enough that they keep control, yet allowing the players enough freedom to play hard.

I have a unique perspective regarding this issue. I have been a licensed soccer referee for the past two-and-a-half years, and I have been a soccer and basketball player since I was about three years old. Thus, I not only know how, when, and what to call, but I also understand how players respond to different styles of refereeing.

From a referee's viewpoint, the three most important objectives to keep in mind during a game are being consistent, helping the players learn, and protecting the players/controlling the game (although there are many other responsibilities and rules to which they must attend and enforce). This is no easy task because many actions are happening simultaneously. At the beginning of a game, a referee sets a standard after their first few calls. If a referee is consistent throughout the rest of the game, then the players will be able to learn how to play under that particular referee. Moreover, in addition to being consistent, referees must also place reasonable limits on physicality to prevent players from injuring each other. Therein lies the issue. I believe that some referees are too lax when they call sporting contests, setting the stage for frustrated players to injure each other through increased levels of physicality.

From a player's perspective, they want to be safe, play hard, and have fun. Players appreciate consistency during games so that they can become accustomed to their referee. However, while they don't want referees to be too controlling, they also don't want to be fouled throughout the game. Often, I feel players fouling me, but the referee does not call the infraction. If this happens frequently, especially if the fouls come from one player, it is easy to get frustrated. This may cause members of my team (especially me) to become more physical as well, leading to potential injuries on both sides.

In my opinion, some referees let the players compete too much. At times, the players' safety is at risk. I suggest that referees call their games more closely in order to control the game and protect the players. Perhaps referees should even pretend that they are playing in the games that they are assigned and call the competitions accordingly.

In addition, it is important to clearly communicate calls to both the players and the spectators so that no one is confused (for example, in soccer, referees signal "play on" to indicate that they see a foul and are letting the play continue). Referees have the privilege to teach and protect athletes, and they should ensure that they call games responsibly to benefit the players.