Referee Career Opportunities

An umpire or a referee is the one who controls the progress of the athletics or any other sporting event. People will always take part in and will watch sports. There is no doubt that because of this participation there will always be a need of career as referees/umpires to officiate sporting events and make sure that the game played is fair.

Referee Tasks

The tasks performed in the career as referee/ umpire are:

• The referee or the umpire has to award points, give scoring penalties and declare the end result.
• The referee or the umpire has to keep a track of the event time.
• The referee or the umpire has to position him in such a way that he is able to see the action in the best way.
• To have a career as a referee or career as an umpire one should listen and respond when the player's or the athlete challenge your decision.
• The referee or an umpire should inspect the equipment for violations.
• To have a career as referee or an umpire you should always understand the rules of your game. A good referee or an umpire also understands the strategies of that game.

• A referee or an umpire has to work even on holidays including weekend and also on odd hours.
• The referee or an umpire has to travel often from one place, city, state, country to another.
• A referee or an umpire has to study search and research about the players and their team to anticipate issues that might come up or arise in future engagements.
• A referee has to understand and be aware of others reactions as why did they react so.
• A referee or an umpire has to even understand what another person is saying; he can even be from another country or origin.
• If there is any problem, a referee or an umpire always discusses the problem with other umpires or referee or even with the coaches and players and even shares the information.

Qualifications Required

Qualifications required for a career as referee/umpire is tougher as compared to an athlete because fewer people make their living as sports officials as compared to that of an athlete or a player. A good way to get your foot on the door is to take on a part-time job at the lower level i.e. at the high school level. To make a career as referee/umpire you should have your high school diploma because it is required for some professional referring jobs.

Like if you want to be a referee for the National Football League, you are interviewed by psychologists and subjected to a thorough background check.

Other necessary Skills

• A referee or an umpire has to be an excellent communicator
• He/ she must be attentive and alert with excellent presence of mind
• A career as referee/umpire must have good vision
• Ability to make quick but right decisions
• Knowledge of multiple languages is essential as teams might belong to various parts of the world.

Place of Work

There is no particular work place in a career referee/umpire. There are irregular work hours. If games are held outdoors' a referee or an umpire has to get exposed to all weather conditions. If games are held indoors than a referee or an umpire tends to work in climate-controlled comfort. Umpires and referee has to work in such an environment where they are often verbally abused by fans and even athletes.

Job Opportunities

With proper qualification, one can apply directly to school or college district or even to leagues depending on the choice of an individual. With proper experience which can be gained by working as a referee in tennis club, football club, or cricket club can even make career as referee/umpire in big leagues or at an international level.

Remuneration

The compensations in the career as referee/umpire are quite high at the national and international leagues and clubs. Even at the local and lower levels umpires and referees can earn good wages depending on the talent and experience they carry.

Job Progress

The career as referee/umpire can gain progress in the same field. They can turn into trainers and coaches as well. Veteran professionals can establish their own sports academies. Even after retirement, a referee or an umpire can get involved in sports like golf and tennis where only instruction is required.

Employment Forecast

Job opportunities will be increased because of the expansion of schools and colleges where athletic programs are in demand and there will be need of referees and umpires. Public have started participating in large numbers in organized sports for entertainment and physical conditioning. Due to this, there will be a boost in demand for referees and coaches. However, keen competition expected in career as referee/umpire.

Experience counts if you want to make a career as referee/umpire, so keep on playing, referring and umpiring at the lower level to gain that experience.