Good luck to any IPF refs amongst us
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| AndyH |  | Good luck to any IPF refs amongst us | 23-10-2007 @ 09:33 |
Member 143, 237 posts SQ 340, BP 245, DL 310895.0 kgs @ 120kgs Eq | Taken from the minutes of the IPF congress TR 8: Page 30 / add to item 31 (IPF-EC/TC) A clinic will be held every year at the World and Regional Powerlifting Championships Masters and Sub-Juniors/Juniors. Every international referee must participate in one clinic within the four year period for re-registration. Reason: Because of the lack of referees at these championships, and to up-keep the required standard. ** Amendment by EC: Delete Masters and Sub-Juniors/Juniors. Change to “A clinic will be held every year at each World and Regional Powerlifting Championships” **Seconder: Luxembourg / Vote: 38 / 0 / 9 You may call me a cynic - lots have - but on the assumption that this is enforced I expect we will see a reduction in the number of British IPF referee's over the next 4 years. | ||
| little_a | | ... | 23-10-2007 @ 11:59 |
 still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | When will it be generally acknowledged that volunteers will not be dictated to? | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 23-10-2007 @ 18:29 |
 Old Age Presser Member 75, 7740 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | My gut reaction was to agree with Andy, but on reflection... We moan about the refereeing standards at the big events, which can often be down to a ref wanting to prove how good he/she is at picking up on the most innocuous and miniscule imperfections in technique. This initiative is clearly aimed at improving refereeing standards and that is surely to be applauded. It will also address the ongoing problem of too few referees at major championships. (That's not a problem at Masters events, btw, because so many of the Masters lifters are also referees.) Also, if you want to be an IPF referee that implies you want to participate in major events, so how big a hardship is it to go to one every four years? Just my twopennurth. | ||
| AndyH | | ... | 23-10-2007 @ 19:22 |
Member 143, 237 posts SQ 340, BP 245, DL 310895.0 kgs @ 120kgs Eq | Whilst I agree with principle of the raising of standards of refereeing, heavens knows I've complained and cursed enough myself over the years. What happens to those that can't afford some of the trips. Luckily the European championships are quite often within travel distance, but the worlds can be quite expensive to say the least. As a guess, if you were travelling to a one of the recent championships you could probably do the return trip for £100 - £200 allowing for cheap accomodation for one or two nights. But for a worlds the cost could be a massive amount more. Not everyone can justify the cost and time to travel to such events Extrapolating a little on top of this, to actually referee there you have to be nominated by the UK and the usual situation is only 1 maybe 2 refs are nominated. On another forum Jim Mutrie (our current BWLA Tech Sec) estimated having to send 8 referee's per championship to certify all our IPF referee's inside the 4 year period. Somehow I can't see this happening based on past BWLA financing, therefore you will end up travelling to one of these events purely for the referee's technical briefings. If we want to improve the standard of refereeing in the UK we have some of the longest serving & most experienced refs in the world based in this country. What prevents us & even other countries holding locally authorised and validated seminars rather than forcing people to travel many 1000's of miles at their own expense to attend a 1 - 2 hour seminar given by people of the same (if not lower) standard? It may sound a bit like me on my soap box here, but I have a real problem with the way both BWLA and the IPF treat the volunteers that keep our sport running. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 23-10-2007 @ 19:30 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7740 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Wow! I stand corrected if we have that many IPF referees! I assume you're not referring to BWLA national standard referees, but to international ones. I was thinking that if they all went to one Europeans every four years it wouldn't be too much of a hardship financially or otherwise. But if we have 60+ surely it would make sense to do the course in the UK? | ||
| little_a | | ... | 23-10-2007 @ 20:19 |
still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | Originally posted by Martin1956... We moan about the refereeing standards at the big events, which can often be down to a ref wanting to prove how good he/she is at picking up on the most innocuous and miniscule imperfections in technique. This initiative is clearly aimed at improving refereeing standards and that is surely to be applauded. I agree with the above Martin. I would add though that so many refs of all standards fall down on one common point in all disciplines, and that is that the lifter should be given any benefit of the doubt. there again, who would be a ref and have every decision second guessed? Not me  | ||
| Fatpete | | ... | 23-10-2007 @ 20:41 |
 Hyper obese Pete Member 70, 17896 posts SQ 322.5, BP 205, DL 300827.5 kgs @ 133kgs Eq | Originally posted by little_a... I would add though that so many refs of all standards fall down on one common point in all disciplines, and that is that the lifter should be given any benefit of the doubt. Reluctant though I am to agree with Andy. This, in my opinion has hit the nail on the head. Generally I believe that referees do an excellent and thankless job, but if I could change one thing it would be this. That or change the rule to "I'm going to fail your fat ass unless you make me pass you" or somesuch  | ||
| AndyH | | ... | 23-10-2007 @ 22:46 |
Member 143, 237 posts SQ 340, BP 245, DL 310895.0 kgs @ 120kgs Eq | Strangely enough I've discussed the point a number of times with various IPF referees and the ones' who I respect the most came out with basically the same answer (which matches mine and my wifes btw) - We presume that the lift has passed before the lifter starts and only touch the red button if we see an obvious infraction. If we are in any doubt about anything we give the lifter the benefit of the doubt. One of the problems you will find if you ever do the IPF exam is that it forces you to read the rule book so thoroughly that you find all the little rules you never knew existed or had forgotten about. Scarily enough you find yourself finding more and more things wrong with everything till you balance things out again after a few kicks from the old hands. I've actually come across IPF level referees that presume the complete opposite (usually refereeing me at the time sadly ).In answer to Martin's point. I was only referring to IPF level referees & currently the IPF has only 48 listed for the UK, but I am pretty sure that is a few short. Consider also that the EPF has 405 currently listed and all of these would have to attend the clinics within the 4 years. That would be rather interesting if 100+ turned up to every Europeans, there could be one ref per lifter each year - lol. | ||