FEATURE 15
Photos by Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Above: Pat Jardine, Overland Park junior, signals a touchdown during a flag football game. Jardine says he started refereeing because he likes football and he needed a job.
Right: Aaron Flickinger, McPherson junior, blows his whistle to start play during a flag football game Tuesday. Flickinger has been an intramural referee for three years.
to be treated with the same respect, Beck says.
"Relax, it's just a game," he says. "You're playing for a T-shirt. They are students just like everyone else on campus. They're bustin' their butts for you, but if you think you can do better then come on out. We'd love to have you."
The intramural referees go through a three-day training period when they are drilled on the rules and regulations of the sport, as well as the mechanics and
Beck says refereeing is something that is best taught through experience. The more experience someone has refereeing or just being around the sport in general, the better they will get, which will then lead to feeling more comfortable calling a game.
Refereeing instructors can drill the new referees on the rules and regulations until they know them like the back of their hand, but until they actually go out there and experience it for themselves, they won't be able to
Despite all the training that referees get, they are going to make mistakes. It just is a part of the game, but what the referee instructors and supervisors try to stress to these refs is to make each call with confidence and to stand by their decision.
Because these are usually beginner refs, to be fair to the participants, they do have a chance to petition any "non-judgment" call. This means that any call that isn't solely up to the judgment of the referee can be
"The guys who've played before,it starts clicking for them pretty quick and the more it (the game) slows down." — Steven Dickherber, St. Louis sophomore
positioning of refereeing. Then they play some simulation games to get a feel for calling a game in action.
"The guys who've played before, it starts clicking for them pretty quick and the more it (the game) slows down," says Steven Dickherker, St. Louis sophomore and second year intramural referee. "Then the guys who have never played before or don't really know the game, it may never click for them."
understand the whole refereeing process.
Intramurals also uses experienced referees to help introduce new ones to the game and the experience.
"It helps me as being one of the veteran referees to help the new people coming in to tell them to look out for these kinds of things," says Aaron Flickinger, junior from McPherson and third-year intramural referee.
petitioned to the referee supervisor that is on hand for every game. These supervisors are there to settle any disputes in addition to evaluate the refs on their performances.
"Let the refs do their job" Dickherber said. "They are trying the best they can and if they're not they will be chewed out by someone else."
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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THE WAVE SEPTEMBER 25,2009