Amatuer Referee

[JMac]

If it is something if you want to do it bad enough, you just do it. Many areas in the states need officials. On the local level many times you don't get paid or very little. It will cost you money to go to national tournaments but if you pay your dues and become a good official, the folks in charge will take notice. Then you could get invited to work national tournaments and have your way paid. Once you get enough experience on that level, you can test for AIBA which allows you to work international events. USA Boxing has 3 levels of officiating and AIBA has 1-3 stars with 3 the highest who can work world championships and Olympics. It sounds like a lot of work and it is if you want to get to the top. No one is going to let a brand new official come in and work the highest levels. It's all about paying your dues and gaining experience.
Is there politics involved? Sometimes. Politics plays a part pretty much in everything you do. Does it help to know people involved...sure. On the international level, politics can get real bad. Corruption as well. I made some fantastic friends on the international level, many of whom we stay in contact but when I was at an international tournament I couldn't wait to leave mostly because many of the people in charge were sleaze bags. After the Olympics I decided to step away from officiating and was asked if I wanted to become one of the administrators I couldn't stand. It would have involved lots of world travel with all expenses paid but I said no thanks.

[oogiebe]

If it is something if you want to do it bad enough, you just do it. Many areas in the states need officials. On the local level many times you don't get paid or very little. It will cost you money to go to national tournaments but if you pay your dues and become a good official, the folks in charge will take notice. Then you could get invited to work national tournaments and have your way paid. Once you get enough experience on that level, you can test for AIBA which allows you to work international events. USA Boxing has 3 levels of officiating and AIBA has 1-3 stars with 3 the highest who can work world championships and Olympics. It sounds like a lot of work and it is if you want to get to the top. No one is going to let a brand new official come in and work the highest levels. It's all about paying your dues and gaining experience.
Is there politics involved? Sometimes. Politics plays a part pretty much in everything you do. Does it help to know people involved...sure. On the international level, politics can get real bad. Corruption as well. I made some fantastic friends on the international level, many of whom we stay in contact but when at an international tournament I couldn't wait to leave mostly because many of the people in charge were sleaze bags. After the Olympics I decided to step away from officiating and was asked if I wanted to become one of the administrators I couldn't stand. It would have involved lots of world travel with all expenses paid but I said no thanks.

Tell you how much I like this post. I printed it out for savings! Thanks so very much! I currently don't care about the money end!

[JMac]

If it is something if you want to do it bad enough, you just do it. Many areas in the states need officials. On the local level many times you don't get paid or very little. It will cost you money to go to national tournaments but if you pay your dues and become a good official, the folks in charge will take notice. Then you could get invited to work national tournaments and have your way paid. Once you get enough experience on that level, you can test for AIBA which allows you to work international events. USA Boxing has 3 levels of officiating and AIBA has 1-3 stars with 3 the highest who can work world championships and Olympics. It sounds like a lot of work and it is if you want to get to the top. No one is going to let a brand new official come in and work the highest levels. It's all about paying your dues and gaining experience.
Is there politics involved? Sometimes. Politics plays a part pretty much in everything you do. Does it help to know people involved...sure. On the international level, politics can get real bad. Corruption as well. I made some fantastic friends on the international level, many of whom we stay in contact but when at an international tournament I couldn't wait to leave mostly because many of the people in charge were sleaze bags. After the Olympics I decided to step away from officiating and was asked if I wanted to become one of the administrators I couldn't stand. It would have involved lots of world travel with all expenses paid but I said no thanks.

Tell you how much I like this post. I printed it out for savings! Thanks so very much! I currently don't care about the money end!

Good luck to you. If you referee, always remember safety first and the fans did not come to see you ref. Let them fight and don't over involve yourself. If you are judging, remember how hard these boxers train for these moments and be fair.

[oogiebe]

If it is something if you want to do it bad enough, you just do it. Many areas in the states need officials. On the local level many times you don't get paid or very little. It will cost you money to go to national tournaments but if you pay your dues and become a good official, the folks in charge will take notice. Then you could get invited to work national tournaments and have your way paid. Once you get enough experience on that level, you can test for AIBA which allows you to work international events. USA Boxing has 3 levels of officiating and AIBA has 1-3 stars with 3 the highest who can work world championships and Olympics. It sounds like a lot of work and it is if you want to get to the top. No one is going to let a brand new official come in and work the highest levels. It's all about paying your dues and gaining experience.
Is there politics involved? Sometimes. Politics plays a part pretty much in everything you do. Does it help to know people involved...sure. On the international level, politics can get real bad. Corruption as well. I made some fantastic friends on the international level, many of whom we stay in contact but when at an international tournament I couldn't wait to leave mostly because many of the people in charge were sleaze bags. After the Olympics I decided to step away from officiating and was asked if I wanted to become one of the administrators I couldn't stand. It would have involved lots of world travel with all expenses paid but I said no thanks.

Tell you how much I like this post. I printed it out for savings! Thanks so very much! I currently don't care about the money end!

Good luck to you. If you referee, always remember safety first and the fans did not come to see you ref. Let them fight and don't over involve yourself. If you are judging, remember how hard these boxers train for these moments and be fair.

LMAO! Like I said during the Parker/AJ fight, the ref is getting more airtime than the fighters!!! Great advice. Safety first is numbers 1 - 5 on my list. Prepare for more posts from me regarding questions and stuff. I hope my fairness and integrity do justice to the fighters! Thanks again!

[Wales]

sounds like the dream to be a ref/judge who gets flown all these places for title fights. i wonder how ppl get those jobs.

Wouldn't it be nice, yes.

start sucking up to the right ppl and well see you there eventually

Be completely unbiased, fair and straight down the middle at all times and you’ll get nowhere

As stated above - suck up to the right people and you will

Moral dilemma right there

[oogiebe]

Wouldn't it be nice, yes.

start sucking up to the right ppl and well see you there eventually

Be completely unbiased, fair and straight down the middle at all times and you’ll get nowhere

As stated above - suck up to the right people and you will

Moral dilemma right there

I assure you that as soon as integrity is questioned, I'm out.

[Wales]

Sometimes it can be subliminal bias. Crowd, fact home promoter has treated you like a king etc.... it happens
Other times it’s blatant and shameful favouritism. Tillerman in the Ottke Reid fight - there’s no way on earth he believed he was doing the right thing in that fight . He took blatant bias too far.

[Wales]

Ottke Reid

No way was this ref unbiased

[oogiebe]

Ottke Reid

No way was this ref unbiased

Yeah, I'm already better,....LMAO!! WOW!

[Wales]

Possibly worse

Especially as the ref lets the promoter get away with ringing the bell 90 seconds early to save the home fighter

[oogiebe]

Possibly worse

Especially as the ref lets the promoter get away with ringing the bell 90 seconds early to save the home fighter

That's some of the most f'd up crap I've ever seen! You are demotivating me...I could never put up with sh#t like that, so at best, given the examples you've given, I swear the first "perceived incident" would be my last.

.oO [This may be more difficult than I first thought)

[Wales]

Possibly worse

Especially as the ref lets the promoter get away with ringing the bell 90 seconds early to save the home fighter

That's some of the most f'd up crap I've ever seen! You are demotivating me...I could never put up with sh#t like that, so at best, given the examples you've given, I swear the first "perceived incident" would be my last.

.oO [This may be more difficult than I first thought)

Long way to go before you have to be mentally strong to ensure you dont favour the fighter Everyone’s cheering for and is being promoted by the bloke who’s flown you half way round the world and put you up in the best hotels and treated you like a Saudi Prince.

Problem is you can ref or judge a fight as you see it , in your mind being being 100% fair. But the loser, the losers corner and the losers promoter will have seen it completely differently.

[Wales]

I’m sure there’s loads of paperwork, theory and red tape. But aside from the etiquette it’s not rocket science .

Nothing worse than discussing the ref after a fight.

[oogiebe]

Possibly worse

Especially as the ref lets the promoter get away with ringing the bell 90 seconds early to save the home fighter

That's some of the most f'd up crap I've ever seen! You are demotivating me...I could never put up with sh#t like that, so at best, given the examples you've given, I swear the first "perceived incident" would be my last.

.oO [This may be more difficult than I first thought)

Long way to go before you have to be mentally strong to ensure you dont favour the fighter Everyone’s cheering for and is being promoted by the bloke who’s flown you half way round the world and put you up in the best hotels and treated you like a Saudi Prince.

Problem is you can ref or judge a fight as you see it , in your mind being being 100% fair. But the loser, the losers corner and the losers promoter will have seen it completely differently.

It's all in fun! I am doing this on the side and very locally in the "amateur club" circuit. You know, local boxing clubs, gold glove path, etc.

[oogiebe]

I agree that there are disagreements (and scuffles) perpetrated by loser's corner often. No problemo! What else would I expect. That's not the rule though, so as long as it's 80/20, I'm good.

[Best Coast]

Wouldn't it be nice, yes.

start sucking up to the right ppl and well see you there eventually

I did all my puckering when I courted my wife. No one else gets the pleasure. I can promise this...when/if the stinky drop of politicalizati
on rears its ugly head,...I'll be done with it.

With that kind of attitude you should be a ref with integrity.

[oogiebe]

start sucking up to the right ppl and well see you there eventually

I did all my puckering when I courted my wife. No one else gets the pleasure. I can promise this...when/if the stinky drop of politicalizati
on rears its ugly head,...I'll be done with it.

With that kind of attitude you should be a ref with integrity.

Until they fire me or blackball me! Thank you it means a lot coming from you.

[Ilya Muromets]

See if you can make some money on the side, if you know what i mean. That way you'll learn the real business and get ready for the way they do it in the pros. Just casually walk into each dressing room before the fight and talk to the manager. Don't be obvious. That would be stupid, especially in your very first refereeing gig. Just say something like, "Gee, Rocky is a real good looking kid. It would be a shame if the breaks didn't go his way. By the way, baby needs a new pair of shoes."

Great advice, thank you so very much. and a hearty LOL on the Quote! LMAO! I love the sport and the first thing for me is to be around it. I figure much of my first year or two is volunteering for low-level and local amateur tourney's. If I can make a buck or two later on it will be 'gravy.'

Yeah but i noticed ya printed up some other mug's stoopid advice an i don think youse printed up mine so now my feelings are hoited.

[oogiebe]

See if you can make some money on the side, if you know what i mean. That way you'll learn the real business and get ready for the way they do it in the pros. Just casually walk into each dressing room before the fight and talk to the manager. Don't be obvious. That would be stupid, especially in your very first refereeing gig. Just say something like, "Gee, Rocky is a real good looking kid. It would be a shame if the breaks didn't go his way. By the way, baby needs a new pair of shoes."

Great advice, thank you so very much. and a hearty LOL on the Quote! LMAO! I love the sport and the first thing for me is to be around it. I figure much of my first year or two is volunteering for low-level and local amateur tourney's. If I can make a buck or two later on it will be 'gravy.'

Yeah but i noticed ya printed up some other mug's stoopid advice an i don think youse printed up mine so now my feelings are hoited.

While I doubt I hurt your feelings, I do appreciate all the advice posted. Not sure about the bribes you are (of course kidding about) alluding to. LMAO! Too funny!

[Ilya Muromets]

Great advice, thank you so very much. and a hearty LOL on the Quote! LMAO! I love the sport and the first thing for me is to be around it. I figure much of my first year or two is volunteering for low-level and local amateur tourney's. If I can make a buck or two later on it will be 'gravy.'

Yeah but i noticed ya printed up some other mug's stoopid advice an i don think youse printed up mine so now my feelings are hoited.

While I doubt I hurt your feelings, I do appreciate all the advice posted. Not sure about the bribes you are (of course kidding about) alluding to. LMAO! Too funny!

Sure i wuz just kidding around and my feelings weren't really "hoited", but sometimes there's more truth than poetry in a parody, and out of the mouths of babes (me)... or however they go. But, kidding aside, keep us up to date on your cool new adventure!

[oogiebe]

Yeah but i noticed ya printed up some other mug's stoopid advice an i don think youse printed up mine so now my feelings are hoited.

While I doubt I hurt your feelings, I do appreciate all the advice posted. Not sure about the bribes you are (of course kidding about) alluding to. LMAO! Too funny!

Sure i wuz just kidding around and my feelings weren't really "hoited", but sometimes there's more truth than poetry in a parody, and out of the mouths of babes (me)... or however they go. But, kidding aside, keep us up to date on your cool new adventure!

Excellent points. The one thing I do fear is any nonsense, which as I stated, would end my career as fast as it started as I have my name and integrity above all else! Keep 'em coming! I'll update when I know more.

[oogiebe]

I'm proud to say I've passed my background check; referee testing; and Scoring tests. I'm amped!