Issue 141
May 2016
Referees can play an essential part in the best fights – by staying out of the way
Marc Goddard
The international MMA referee says the best refs try to stay out of the spotlight
It’s no coincidence that ‘Fight of the Night’ and ‘Fight of the Year’ matchups are usually officiated by experienced referees. It takes a confident and educated third man to allow the best fights to play out for the fans.
Only an in-tune ref has the confidence to just deal with infractions when it’s absolutely necessary – in instances when they have a detrimental impact on the fight. Every nip-tuck moment in these contests goes towards painting the full picture.
A trigger-happy referee could cause a swing in momentum and some defining moments could be lost forever because they haven’t been allowed to flourish and develop naturally. An official has to be strong and make vital decisions that may largely go unnoticed.
Commentators, corners, the crowd and the fighters sometimes may not immediately understand why a referee allows the action to continue or makes a timely intervention, because the third man is making a split-second discretionary judgment call.
Although a foul may be committed, it may not impact the fight at that time. Referees have the advantage of being able to see the overall picture, so we’re able to stay out of shot and allow a fight to progress.
We may make a visual notification or call out while raising a hand to recognize a foul is unfolding, then allow the fight to continue. The decision to put a fight on pause comes back to the experience, knowledge and awareness of the referee. They have to decide whether intervention would be the wrong course of action.
Fouls that could fit with this unwritten rule include:
- Holding the shorts of an opponent.
- Controlling the hand and arms of an opponent with fingers inside the cuff of the glove.
- Holding the fence using fingers or toes to gain an advantage in position or leverage to aid a sweep or prevent a reversal.
If these don’t result in advantage for the fouling fighter, or negatively impact the fouled fighter, the fight can continue.
Language barriers, interpretation issues, doctors during cut inspections, injuries caused by fouls and playing the advantage during the course of a committed foul, are all factors a third man has to deal with. The performance of the official is almost as critical to a standout fight as the fighters’.
Any experienced referee will agree our intention is to say nothing other than “start” and “stop” at the beginning of each round. An untimely interruption isn’t always a physical intervention.
The constant verbal bark of inexperienced referees can not only disrupt and detract from the fighters. It can also spoil the experience for the viewers at home too. A good referee should be seen, but not heard – at least by fans on the couch.
Don't stop!
End-of-round deduction
Marc Goddard didn’t halt the action when Marlon Vera repeatedly held Davey Grant’s gloves at UFC Fight Night 84. Instead, he waited until the end of the round to deduct a point from the Ecuadorian bantamweight.
