IBSA Goalball would like to announce a new position that will be at upcoming tournaments from now on. This is the role of commissioner. The role is outlined in the new rules but we are choosing to mention this now because we will be trialing this role at the upcoming regional tournaments in 2013.
 
In many sports, there is a split between the Technical Delegate (TD) and the role of commissioner. Technical Delegates are normally focusing on the running of the tournament e.g.: match schedules, referee and ITO schedules, liaising with the local organizing committees and other administrative duties. This is a task that takes up a lot of time and means that the TD is unable to supervise the referees, ITOs and volunteers and make sure that everything is running to a high and consistent standard.
 
Here is where the role of commissioner can support the TD as explained by our Sports Director, Kari Räsänen.
 
“I believe that the commissioner's main duties will be to assess the referees and ITOs.  They will also assist the TD in making the final decision on referee selection for the more important matches. They can also bring his/her large experience to possible protest cases for a justified solution. “
 
We within IBSA Goalball believe that the rotation of referees is very important to give all developing referees experience and the chance to grow. However, it is also very important that we have the very best referees at the top level (IBSA Goalball World Championships and Paralympic Games) to make sure that the matches run without controversy or large errors in front of a large audience and when the largest prizes are on the line.
 
Here is where the commissioner can help by feeding back to referees on how they can improve and also assist IBSA Goalball in choosing the best referees for these major tournaments.
 
Therefore, the commissioner will assist the referees and monitor them to make sure that they are refereeing consistently and interpreting the rules in the same manner.
 
Not anyone will be chosen to perform this role. We will be looking for someone who has at least 10 years refereeing experience as well as experience of acting as a TD, can work well with the chosen TD and is highly respected amongst not only their referee colleagues but also the coaches and players. These people will also be expected to have performed extra training beyond that of a level III referee.
 
In the proposed rule book for 2014-2017, the role of commissioner is outlined as follows:
 

• Observe referees during IBSA World Championships, Paralympic Games  and Regional championships
• Assist Technical Delegate in selecting the best performing  referees after the round robins
• Serve as chairman of the Protest Committee
• Assist the Technical Delegate to give immediate feedback on major  tournaments to implement better consistency among referees

 
If you have any issues or comments regarding this new role, please contact our Sports Director, Kari Räsänen.