New International Federation for Referees

(ATR) A newly created international federation aims to advocate for the rights of referees and to promote best practices of officiating.

The International Sport Officials Federation is in the process of writing its constitution. Then it will work with international federations to form partnerships as it seeks IOC recognition.

Patrick Vajda, a French fencing referees, who works as sports consultant told Around the Rings he was compelled to start the federation go combat the issues referees face globally. Like athletes, referees are the only actors in international sport who participate in the field of play, and are not elected to international federations.

The federation was modeled after an existing body in France that is a member of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee. Vajda said that both Belgium and England also have national organizations for referees.

"We decided to make something different, so instead of waiting for the creation of national federations we did something with an international federation," Vajda said.

In addition to working with international federations and national associations ISOF will work with individual referees and organizers of multi-sport events. Those partnerships will focus on providing guidance and advocacy for federation’s referees and how organizers can best protect referees. What ISOF will not do is ask federations or organizers to use referees from its own federation, or be a syndicate for referees.

Referees face the unique problems of many times having to work a separate job while managing refereeing positions in smaller sports. The range in which referees can get work varies from full time professionals in football, to part-time positions in sports such as fencing. The federation would work to provide advice to referees to manage the different aspects of their careers.

Also, the federation aims to address the challenges referees face with regards to lack of respect of their decisions on the field of play. While France has enacted legislation to protect referees and increase penalties for attacks on referees, most countries lag behind in such measures.

"The referee is a human being like others, the others make mistake like we make mistakes," Vajda said. "What we are doing…is to try to explain that the respect of the decision of the referee is important and the respect of the referee is very important and the respect of the athletes is very important as well."

For now Vajda says that IOC recognition remains the long-term goal for the fledging federation. Recognition shouldn’t be an issue because Vajda says the federation’s creation was done with support from fellow members in the Olympic movement. For now, the federation’s goal is to grow its membership and solidify its governance.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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