Complex role of a rugby ref
Sep 25, 2009
NO matter what level of the match there will always be decisions that are difficult for a referee to make. This can be due to many different reasons but these decisions have to be made and the referees, players and spectators have to live with them.
IN THE RUCK - By Peter Ofong
NO matter what level of the match there will always be decisions that are difficult for a referee to make. This can be due to many different reasons but these decisions have to be made and the referees, players and spectators have to live with them.
Normally, players and spectators often do not appreciate the role of the referee and how complex his or her job is.
Referees however are trained to make these decisions and it is important that they are seen to be impartial, confident and consistent, human errors notwithstanding.
Mungoma loses control of the Uganda Cup Semi final
The performance of our local referees have been the subject of intense debate over the last 2-3 years but unfortunately there has not been any satisfactory improvement.
Scandalous refereeing reared it’s ugly head again in last Saturday’s Uganda Cup semi final clash between G4S Pirates and MTN Heathens.
The man at the centre of the controversy and the pitch is a familiar face in referee Charles Mungoma.
Without any prejudice on Mungoma’s person, this was the worst refereeing I have ever witnessed.
It bothers me that URRS adamantly select the same referee to officiate 90% of the same games –– Pirates versus Heathens –– consistently over the last 4 years despite continued questionable officiation?
There should be more rotation of the referees to avoid any thoughts of conspiracy theories.
I wonder what the referee assessor’s report has to say?
Over the years, this referee has demonstrated a poor grasp, understanding and application of the laws of the game and it showed marring what should have been a fantastic semi-final.
In a strange spell, Heathens were penalised an astonishing 38 times! It took super human effort and amazing mental strength for Heathens to overcome these monumental obstacles in grinding out a convincing win.
At the final whistle, even the Pirates players who were the beneficiaries of Mungoma’s inconsistency voiced their embarrassment at the referee’s performance.
Both teams must be commended in ending the game without any incident.
What is the way forward
With the continued fall in refereeing standards URRS/URU must stop burying their heads in the sand and start looking for practical solutions.
URRS have their own procedure for developing referees but I would like to add my two pence to avoid a scenes like the 2009 Uganda Cup.
NO matter what level of the match there will always be decisions that are difficult for a referee to make. This can be due to many different reasons but these decisions have to be made and the referees, players and spectators have to live with them.
Normally, players and spectators often do not appreciate the role of the referee and how complex his or her job is.
Referees however are trained to make these decisions and it is important that they are seen to be impartial, confident and consistent, human errors notwithstanding.
Mungoma loses control of the Uganda Cup Semi final
The performance of our local referees have been the subject of intense debate over the last 2-3 years but unfortunately there has not been any satisfactory improvement.
Scandalous refereeing reared it’s ugly head again in last Saturday’s Uganda Cup semi final clash between G4S Pirates and MTN Heathens.
The man at the centre of the controversy and the pitch is a familiar face in referee Charles Mungoma.
Without any prejudice on Mungoma’s person, this was the worst refereeing I have ever witnessed.
It bothers me that URRS adamantly select the same referee to officiate 90% of the same games –– Pirates versus Heathens –– consistently over the last 4 years despite continued questionable officiation?
There should be more rotation of the referees to avoid any thoughts of conspiracy theories.
I wonder what the referee assessor’s report has to say?
Over the years, this referee has demonstrated a poor grasp, understanding and application of the laws of the game and it showed marring what should have been a fantastic semi-final.
In a strange spell, Heathens were penalised an astonishing 38 times! It took super human effort and amazing mental strength for Heathens to overcome these monumental obstacles in grinding out a convincing win.
At the final whistle, even the Pirates players who were the beneficiaries of Mungoma’s inconsistency voiced their embarrassment at the referee’s performance.
Both teams must be commended in ending the game without any incident.
What is the way forward
With the continued fall in refereeing standards URRS/URU must stop burying their heads in the sand and start looking for practical solutions.
URRS have their own procedure for developing referees but I would like to add my two pence to avoid a scenes like the 2009 Uganda Cup.