Referee

A football (soccer) player gets a red card from a referee

In some sports, a referee is a person who has authority to make decisions about play.

Origin

The term referee originated in football (soccer). Originally the team captains would consult with each other in order to resolve any dispute on the pitch. Eventually this role was delegated to an umpire. Each team would bring their own partisan umpire allowing the team captains to concentrate on the game. Later, the referee, a third "neutral" official was added. The referee would be "referred to" if the umpires could not resolve a dispute. The referee did not take his place on the pitch until 1891, when the umpires became linesmen (now officially called assistant referees). Today, in many amateur football matches, each side will still supply their own partisan assistant referees (still often called club linesmen) to assist the neutral referee appointed by the governing football association.

Referees wear clothing to distinguish themselves from the players. In some sports referees must change to a contrasting uniform if they discover that they resemble the field players. In others, the teams avoid wearing uniforms that resemble the clothing used by officials.

Examples:

Referee

Origin

Football (soccer)

Basketball Referee

Tennis Referee

Attire