Referee certification… What does it mean, really?
This is a question that many have asked. The answer is not especially clear.
There is an obvious answer for what referee certification hope to achieve. Ideally, you should be able to bring in a certified referee and know that you have someone who is exceptional at refereeing WFTDA sanctioned bouts. The higher the level of certification, the better the job they should be able to do.
Is this the way it works now? Not necessarily. Why wouldn’t it work that way? Referee certification is a complicated system that is in its infancy. Let’s face it, roller derby is in its infancy. This most recent incarnation of roller derby has been around for less than a decade; Referee certification has been around approximately a year. There are many kinks to work out in the process, but the steps have been taken in the apprpriate direction.
So, it’s a building process. What does it mean to be a certified referee at this very moment? Honestly, not a whole lot. Though, the few things that it does mean, mean a lot to me.
Being a certified referee tells people that you take this seriously enough to pursue certification at a point in time where it is far from being required. It tells people that you have asked people for their honest opinion of what you do as a referee, to be evaluated by a certification granting committee, without reservation of getting a bad evaluation. It shows that you have confidence in what you do while on the track and intend to conduct yourself as a professional.
Some referees have mentioned to me that there would be reffing jobs offered because of certification that would actually pay more than gas money. I’ve not been offered any such positions, but would feel a little uncomfortable making any money (beyond travel expenses) for reffing a bout. I have, however, noticed a slightly increased number of offers to ref bouts lately. I have reason to believe that some of those opportunities are due largely to my being certified.
It is my personal belief that being a certified referee comes with a very large amount of responsibility, beyond that of any contracts you enter into during the application process. Becoming a certified referee is not the end of the process, it’s only the beginning. It’s not a license showing that you are the epitomy of awesomeness, but something showing that you want to do everything you can to achieve perfection. It means stepping up and working bouts that are intimidating. It means doing everything you can to enhance your abilities.
That doesn’t mean that you have to work only high-level sanctioned bouts. In some cases, that isn’t hugely helpful. I do a lot to try to help out newer, non-WFTDA leagues. They need good officiating crews and need a lot of help to get there. Reffing bouts with very inexperienced leagues may not sound very exciting to a tournament level ref, but I will always insist that it will always be a great learning experience. In bouts with experienced leagues, there is a certain amount of predictability. You get accustomed to looking for different things with more experienced leagues. When you ref for less experienced leagues, you need to forget some of those habits and just open your eyes to what is happening.
What I’m trying to say is this… Being a certified referee doesn’t give you license to tell people I’m better than anyone else. Being a certified referee doesn’t give you license to believe that you don’t have anything to learn. Being a certified referee doesn’t give you license to expect positions you wouldn’t get otherwise. However, being a certified referee shows a committment to the pursuit of excellence. Being a certified referee means taking every opportunity you can to further your abilities. Being a certified referee means striving for perfection.