Narvasa wants training, development program for PBA referees
PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa has called for a better and long-term plan for the league referees, saying there should also be a development program for the game officials.
During a press briefing Wednesday, Narvasa lamented the lack of no standard or a training program for the referees and he wants something that could improve the careers.
Narvasa said that while PBA players have played the game for almost their entire lives, most referees meanwhile only started their jobs just after college.
“Is there anything done for the referees? We don’t have a standard and manual of regulations for referees. We don’t have a policy. We don’t have a code of ethics. We do not have a training program for the referees,” Narvasa said.
“We do not have a career path for the referees yet we expect them to perform on the same level as these professional players who got their education since, what, they were 10-years-old? If the rookie is 23-years-old, you’re talking of 13 years. And what about these referees, before they started refereeing, siguro naglaro din yan so baka nag referee after or during college, how many years lang? And we expect them to perform at the level [of these players].”
PBA referees were on the public’s consciousness when Globalport beat Ginebra 84-83 in controversial manner on Dec. 27, 2015.
Two referees were suspended by the PBA Commissioner’s Office as a result of a non-call in the crucial stretch of the knockout quarterfinals game.
Narvasa added there is a gap between the teams and the referees whereas coaches continue to learn and work on their game while the referees often remain stagnant.
“The understanding of the game from the coaches’ standpoint, who played and learned from it and continue to develop it by going to camps abroad, in the same manner teaching it with the younger kids,” Narvasa said.
“Referees, we do not send them abroad, wala, we’ve not even arranged for other people to run a seminar in a continuing basis, it has to be a continuing basis.”
Knowing all this, Narvasa wants to create a development program that would continually sharpen the referees.
“Moving forward, we will change it to create a development program if something happens like this again, we have to make sure we have to train the referees properly,” Narvasa said. “We treat them properly, we give them dignity, we give them esteem.”
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