The time runs down to 14 seconds, and the score is tied 14-14. As the Severn School quarterback attempts to throw the ball to his receiver in the end zone, senior Danny Schall jumps up and intercepts the pass. The JC team begins to celebrate, as the game will now go into overtime and they have a chance at beating the number one team in the MIAA B Conference. Suddenly, one of the referees blows his whistle and signals a touchdown, which sealed the game for Severn.

According to senior football captain Cody Copinger, the referee’s awful call shocked his coaches, teammates, the other referee, and even the opposing team. “One of the refs called that Danny intercepted it, while the other ref from the other sideline yelled that Severn had it. Yet the kid from Severn was crying into his hands on the ground … My coach said to me, ‘I’ve been coaching for 25 years and I’ve never seen a call that terrible,’” Copinger said.

This controversial call ultimately cost the football team their chance at advancing to the playoffs, but they are not the only students that have had an experience where the referee’s call determined the game.

Senior basketball player Myah Savage has also found referees to be inconsistent during basketball games. “One time, a ref got in my way while I was dribbling the ball. He said I ran into him and then gave the ball to the other team,” Savage said.

Some students, like junior lacrosse player Michaela Forchion, think referees often make calls that are biased. “I think if a ref likes a certain team more, he’ll give more calls to them,” Forchion said.

Junior Sydni Collins agreed that refs can be ineffective and she thinks they often make mistakes. “I think half the time their calls are a guess, so they can definitely be wrong,” Collins said.

Although some students have had bad experiences with referees in their games, senior field hockey player Grace Hollin appreciates the role referees play in sporting events. “I think we should be supportive of the refs and their decisions. They can be biased, but in order to keep the peace we should listen to what they say,” Hollin said.

However, Hollin agrees that referees sometimes make bad calls, specifically during her field hockey games. “I’ve had times when they called it wrong on another team when a goal goes in and they say there’s no goal, [although] there actually was a goal,” Hollin said.

Students like Forchion believe that most referees aren’t qualified. “Most refs don’t know what they’re doing,” Forchion said.

However, Hollin believes all referees are qualified because of her sister’s experiences as a referee for soccer games. “My sister went to a two-weekend long training, they have to go through a lot,” Hollin said.

Madison Dailey is a Community Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.