REFS ALWAYS UNDER CLOSE SCRUTINY
From an original pool of 15 at the start of the PLDT myDSL PBA Philippine Cup, only the eight top performing referees remain in the pool working the games.
The PBA Office of the Commissioner reviews all games on video, reviews the referees’ statistics and closely monitors the performance of each game official. Those who are found to have performed below par are sanctioned by the Commissioner.
This conference, the league has so far meted out seven suspensions, two on Class B referees and five on Class C referees, ranging from one to two weeks. Another erring referee was suspended from January 13, 2014 up to the end of the conference.
Starting from the end of the eliminations, six Class C referees have been dropped from the pool. They have been relegated to the PBA D-League for further training along with the PBA Referees Academy graduates.
The eight remaining referees working the games in the playoffs are still under close supervision and evaluation. They may still be dropped from the pool for sub-par performance due to lapses in judgment and interpretation.
“With regard to our game officials, rest assured we are always on top of the situation,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud. “Each game official is under close scrutiny by our Office. Every game is reviewed and every game official evaluated. The fans deserve nothing less than well-officiated ballgames and we are doing everything we can to ensure that our game officials adhere to the tenets of competence and integrity.”
PBA referees are required to attend regular viewing sessions where videos of game situations are broken down and calls and non-calls are analyzed and discussed. This activity also helps the technical group improve the officiating mechanics to minimize the chances of committing errors in the coming games.
Physical fitness is likewise being given importance by the league. Referees deemed not in their proper physical condition are stricken off the pool.
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