FROM an original pool of 15 at the start of the PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup, only the eight top performing referees remain to work on the games of the season-opening tournament.
The 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 commissioner Chito Salud, according to a press statement by the league.
This conference, seven officials have so far been meted out with 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 officials working the games in the playoffs are still under close supervision and evaluation, and may still be dropped from the pool for sub-par performance due to lapses in judgment and interpretation.
“With regards to our game officials, rest assured we are always on top of the situation,” said 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.”
League 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. The 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, with referees deemed not in their proper physical condition stricken off from the pool.
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