As we watched the World Cup this year, we watched some incredible soccer, but we also saw some questionable calls. With almost any major sporting event, there’s always some controversy about referees. Although these controversies often are sparked out of spite from upset fans, many issues and unfair biases with referees are proven true. Still, there is the question of whether referees deserve the criticism they receive. PCNN found just that by asking Panther Creek students about their attitudes toward referees. 

According to a PCNN poll, 81.8% of the students surveyed believe that referees receive fair treatment. Athletes such as Madisyn Jordan believe that “they should be (treated) how you would want to be treated. They can call plays that can affect the game, so it’s important to treat them with respect.”

Still, PCHS Coach Robinson believes that “Based on how the players are acting and the students in the standing are behaving, it can affect the way they see things. “

Often student sections become heated during rival games and sometimes boo at the referees. During the World Cup, there were also many cases of alleged “favoritism” from the referees which led to online hate for these referees. From high school basketball games to the largest sporting events in the world, fans and athletes alike may end up showing disrespect to referees.

Nonetheless, “Refs are people too, so when you ever get mad you just have to realize this is what they are getting paid to do,” as Robinson stated. At the end of the day, games and a few points are momentary, but the way we treat referees leaves a much greater impact. This disrespect impacts not only referees but also impacts the impression we put on our school. PCHS students know that sportsmanship is a key factor in our school’s atmosphere, so people like Coach Robinson and Madisyn hope that we will continue to show respect to our referees!