At a soccer game between Stevenson and Waukegan, varsity soccer captain Cole Dirks ’26 noticed that one of his teammates was asked to step back for the rest of the game by a sports official. As captain of the varsity team, Dirks approached the situation in order to ensure that the game continued on smoothly. However, a miscommunication between the two players and the official resulted in a yellow card being called on Dirks’ teammate. 

Referees and officials monitor games to ensure the teams are playing fairly and accordingly. Whether they are regulating in professional leagues, college, or high school, referees have a responsibility to keep the game going without any issues for both competing teams. According to Illinois High School Association Executive Director Craig Anderson, when players in the competing teams show disrespect to one another, the game becomes disrupted.

“We expect there to be sportsmanship between all coaches and participants,” Anderson said. “Officials do have a responsibility to maintain a level of that sportsmanship.”

According to Anderson, officials in Illinois are expected to have responsibilities that serve to uphold the game’s environment for the players. In addition to IHSA, athletes hold officials accountable and look for the similar details when determining what makes a “good” official. 

“Holding both teams accountable to the same thing is important,” Dirks said. “Officials have to] try to be as fair as possible— not call too much or too little.”

Many players like Dirks want a referee who is able to make the right calls on not just one team but both teams. To guarantee fair consistency, Anderson says that IHSA officials have to go through training to be able to officiate games and be as fair as possible.

“Those that are officiating and make it to the varsity level have generally gone through years of preparation at lower level contests and studied the rules,” Anderson said. “They’ve had meetings to talk about officiating, the rules, and their positioning.” 

To be an official for IHSA and participate in games, trainees must follow specific instructions during the application. According to Anderson, training includes an online course where the officials can select which sports they would like to be certified in. From there, they are given a rule book about their game, and an exam to take after reviewing it, along with a background check and an in-person meeting to ensure fairness and prepare them for their first game officiating. 

When officials start refereeing games, IHSA tries to make sure that they are officiating fairly by adhering to feedback the officials receive. According to IHSA Head Official Dawn Pederson, a referee’s attitude is imperative for a game to function fairly between two teams. 

“We all know a bad official can take you out of the game both physically and mentally,” Pederson said. “And a good official can really elevate the game.”

Head officials like Pederson are responsible for ensuring that the other officials are fair and staying neutral throughout the game. Dirks appreciates these efforts from the perspective of an athlete on the field.

“Officials are trying to be as fair as possible, trying to call the right amount of times when they’re officiating a game” Dirks said.

With the ultimate role of an official to be to manage the game, having the awareness to know when to make calls is something Pederson values, especially at lower levels. When not refereeing the varsity level, Pederson says the officials have more educational responsibilities such as assisting players with everything from gameplay to sportsmanship etiquette.

“My expectation and my direction to the officials that work for me is that you should give more grace to the younger teams.” Pederson said, “You should be more patient with them and willing to explain things more thoroughly to them.”

While Pederson emphasizes communication and understanding on the field from referees, she also believes that the same respect should be shown to them by players and coaches. Following reports in recent years from NPR Illinois, Illinois has faced a growing shortage of referees that can be attributed to poor treatment during games.

To combat these shortages, Pederson has worked to recruit and train more officials, offering mentorship programs and encouraging former athletes to step into officiating roles. The training offers opportunities to younger athletes passionate about a sport to obtain their provisional licenses, allowing them to still be involved athletically despite an injury or being cut from a team

Additionally, IHSA has launched the “Enough is Enough” initiative— an initiative that empowers officials to dismiss abusive or disruptive spectators or coaches from a game. According to Anderson, keeping referees in the game relies on building respect between everyone on the field.

“We always want our games to be played in positive environments,” Anderson said. “That means mutual respect, because when that happens, everyone benefits.”

Building a culture of respect is not only about keeping referees on the field— it also helps maintain the flow and fairness of the game. According to Pederson, communication between officials, coaches, and players is key to preventing misunderstandings like the one that Dirks experienced.

“Most conflicts start when someone doesn’t understand what the official saw or why a call was made,” Pederson said. “When everyone assumes good intentions and is willing to listen, the game runs smoother and players can focus on playing.”

For Pederson, it is common for coaches to speak to officials in an attempt to change the outcome of a particular call. According to Dirks, though some referees prefer to communicate directly with the captains, most welcome conversations with the players to explain a particular call.

To Anderson, at the end of the day, the officials are there to support the athletes and the teams rather than for the credit or recognition. In a 2020 survey from IHSA, it was reported that 70 percent of officials initially get involved because of their love for the sport. 

“There’s just a lot of work that goes into being an official that the general fan doesn’t see,” Anderson said. “Officials really want to be unrecognized about their role in officiating and let the spotlight be on the athletes.”