Question Number: 15276

League Specific 4/25/2007

RE: Competive Adult

Maurice Abouna of Sterling Hts, MI Macomb asks...

I Have two questions.
1- can a Player that plays for a team in the same group age and division referee a game in the same division.

2- can a league board member referee a game for another league board member team,
also that board member has a tame in the same division.
Regards
Maurice Abouna

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

They can, but it is not a wise thing to do, because it brings up questions like yours, a potential conflict of interests.

If the referee assignor doesn't check for potential conflicts, there could be a problem of bias, either real or perceived. Sometimes that bias is in favor of the home team, sometimes against. Some refs will go so far to prove they have no bias that they end up favoring the away side.

Most likely the ref will act with integrity and ref a fair game. But why should the ref be put in that position in the first place? No one will be happy.

Now if there is some kind of emergency or scheduling snafu and there is no referee at the field, what do you do? Depending on your league rules, you either all go home and attempt to reschedule the game, or you play with a substitute referee. That substitute will most likely be someone affiliated with one of the teams - it's rare that someone would just happen to be strolling through the park and be called upon to ref the game. So if you're going to have someone affiliated with the team anyway, you might as well have a fully-certified ref as opposed to a coach, parent or sibling.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Depends on the local league. Also, the assignor should make the proper decision. As an assignor, I would not assign a referee to a game that is the same age as the players let alone in the same league. This is a conflict of interest and there is no reason for it. Assignors are taught this when they take their initial assignor course. As a referee, I prefer not to know the players/coaches/parents of the game. Why give someone something to complain about. I do not believe that this is written out anywhere though except maybe in an assignors code of ethics book.