Never put a referee on the defense

Referees rarely change their judgement of a touch after an argument with a coach. Many coaches understand this logically, however, in the heat of the bout, they still choose to be unnecessarily aggressive when they believe a wrong call has been made.

It’s important to understand that human nature is not on your side in this scenario. Taking a combative tone will almost always provoke a defensive response, even if the referee is doubting their judgement. So behaviors such as shouting, stomping or pouting (believe me, I’ve seen it all) only make your situation worse.

Some coaches might think that arguing with the referee can be smart maneuver because it puts pressure on the official to show favor on future touches. I cannot say that this does not occur, however, it is not a sustainable strategy, and can very easily backfire. It’s important to remember that it’s your student that is up there giving their heart and soul, and ultimately they are the ones that will suffer the consequences if you push the referee too far.

Ask the fencing referee intelligent, constructive questions

You want the referee to be on your side, so work WITH the referee. Approaching the exchange like a discussion is much more likely to lead to a constructive result.

Once a call has been made there is virtually nothing that you can do (unless there’s video replay) to recover that point. However, there are two important ways that you can help guide their perception for future points by asking the right questions.