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5253.0 – Sports officials and referees

Sports officials and referees observe and enforce rules and regulations governing sporting events, athletic games and sports competitions.

Profile

Example titles Help

  • Athletics judge
  • Clerk of the course - racetrack
  • Figure skating judge
  • Goal judge
  • Harness racing starter
  • Racetrack timer
  • Referee
  • Sports linesman/woman
  • Sports official
  • Umpire

Main characteristics Help

  • General learning ability to officiate at sporting events and athletic competitions to maintain standards of play and ensure that game rules and safety regulations are observed
  • Spatial perception to observe actions of participants and detect infractions of rules
  • Methodical interest in signalling to start and stop games; and in recording lapsed time and keeping scores during events, in compiling scores and other athletic records, and in verifying credentials of athletes and animals engaged in sports and related special events
  • Directive interest in analyzing the performance of competitors to award points, impose penalties for infractions and determine results; and in observing and enforcing rules and regulations governing sporting events, athletic games and sports competitions and in responding to written protests
  • Social interest in establishing and maintaining rapport with coaches, players and organizing committees, and in conferring with opposing teams and players when required to settle disputes

Aptitudes Help

One of five levels assigned for each factor, with levels representing normal curve distribution of the labour force:

G
General learning ability
V
Verbal ability
N
Numerical ability
S
Spatial perception
P
Form perception
Q
Clerical perception
K
Motor co-ordination
F
Finger dexterity
M
Manual dexterity

Levels legend, text description directly below.
  1. The highest 10% of the working population
  2. Upper third, exclusive of the highest 10%
  3. Middle third of the working population
  4. Lowest third, exclusive of the lowest 10%
  5. Lowest 10% of the working population

An individual's overall capacity to learn the skills needed to perform job duties is based on his or her specific aptitudes for acquiring information and transforming it into action.

General learning ability G-3

Ability to 'catch on' or understand instructions and underlying principles; to reason and make judgments.

Verbal ability V-3

Ability to understand the meaning of words and the ideas associated with them, and to use them effectively; to comprehend language, to understand relationships between words and to understand the meaning of whole sentences and paragraphs; to present information or ideas clearly.

Numerical ability N-4

Ability to carry out arithmetical processes quickly and accurately.

Spatial perception S-2

Ability to think visually about geometric forms and comprehend the two dimensional representation of three dimensional objects; to recognize the relationships resulting from the movement of objects in space. May be used in such tasks as blueprint reading and in solving geometry problems. Frequently described as the ability to 'visualize' objects of two or three dimensions.

Form perception P-3

Ability to perceive pertinent detail in objects and in pictorial and graphic material; to make visual comparisons and discriminations and to see slight differences in shapes and shadings of figures and widths and lengths of lines.

Clerical perception Q-4

Ability to perceive pertinent detail in verbal or tabular material; to observe differences in copy, to proofread words and numbers, and to avoid perceptual errors in arithmetical computation.

Motor co-ordination K-4

Ability to co-ordinate eyes, hands and fingers rapidly and accurately when required to respond with precise movements.

Finger dexterity F-4

Ability to move the fingers and manipulate small objects with the fingers rapidly and/or accurately.

Manual dexterity M-4

Ability to move the hands easily and skillfully; to work with the hands in placing and turning motions.

Interests Help

Three of five descriptive factors, assigned in order of predominance and lower case rating indicating weaker representation:

D
Directive
I
Innovative
M
Methodical
O
Objective
S
Social

Methodical M

Methodical persons like to have clear rules and organized methods to guide their activities. They prefer working under the direction or supervision of others according to given instructions, or to be guided by established policies and procedures. Methodical persons like to work on one thing until it is completed. They enjoy following a set routine and prefer work that is free from the unexpected.

Directive D

Directive persons like to take charge and control situations. They like to take responsibility for projects that require planning, decision making and co-ordinating the work of others. They are able to give direction and instructions easily. They enjoy organizing their own activities. They see themselves as independent and self-directing.

Social s

Social persons like dealing with people. They enjoy caring for and assisting others in identifying their needs and solving their concerns. Social persons like working and co-operating with others. They prefer to be involved in work that requires interpersonal contact.

Data, people, and things Help

Data

0
Synthesizing
1
Co-ordinating
2
Analyzing
3
Compiling
4
Computing
5
Copying
6
Comparing
7
N/A
8
Not Significant

People

0
Mentoring
1
Negotiating
2
Instructing - Consulting
3
Supervising
4
Diverting
5
Persuading
6
Speaking - Signaling
7
Serving - Assisting
8
Not significant

Things

0
Setting up
1
Precision working
2
Controlling
3
Driving - Operating
4
Operating - Manipulating
5
Tending
6
Feeding - Offbearing
7
Handling
8
Not significant
Data Analyzing 2

Examining and evaluating data; frequently presenting alternative action in relation to the evaluation.

People Signalling 6

Talking with and/or signalling people to convey or exchange information; giving assignments and/or directions to helpers.

Things Not significant 8

Not significant

Physical activities Help

V - Vision

1
Close visual acuity
2
Near vision
3
Near and far vision
4
Total visual field

H - Hearing

1
Limited
2
Verbal interaction
3
Other sound discrimination

L - Limb co-ordination

0
Not relevant
1
Upper limb co-ordination
2
Multiple limb co-ordination

C - Colour discrimination

0
Not relevant
1
Relevant

B - Body position

1
Sitting
2
Standing and/or walking
3
Sitting, standing, walking
4
Other body positions

S - Strength

1
Limited
2
Light
3
Medium
4
Heavy
Vision Vision V-4

The use of sight in the work performed. The levels are organized in terms of the visual field involved in the performance of the work.

4 - Total visual field

Work activities involve the entire field of vision – Near and far vision (3) – as well as depth perception and peripheral vision.

Examples:

  • driving vehicles
  • refereeing sports events
  • fighting fires
  • dancing onstage in ballet performances
Colour discrimination Colour discrimination C-1

The use of colour descrimination to identify, distinguish and match colours and different shades of the same colours.

1 - Relevant

Colour discrimination is relevant in the performance of the work.

Examples:

  • observing signals while operating vehicles
  • installing, testing and repairing electrical wiring
  • restoring and conserving museum and art gallery artifacts
  • designing, constructing and repairing dentures
Hearing Hearing H-2

The use of hearing in the work performed. The levels are organized in terms of the type of auditory discrimination involved in the performance of the work.

2 - Verbal interaction

Work activities involve communication with colleagues, clients and/or the public on a regular basis.

Examples:

  • operating directory listing systems to provide directory assistance to customers
  • resolving work problems and recommending measures to improve productivity
  • consulting with families of the deceased regarding funeral services
  • analyzing and providing advice on managerial methods and organization of establishments
Body position Body position B-3*

Primary type of posture or body movement involved in performing the work. These postures or body movements range from simple to complex and from sedentary to mobile.

Limb co-ordination Limb co-ordination L-1*

The use of limbs in performing work.

Strength Strength S-2

The use of strength in the handling of loads such as pulling, pushing, lifting and/or moving objects during the work performed.

2 - Light

Work activities involve handling loads of 5 kg but less than 10 kg.

Examples:

  • repairing soles, heels and other parts of footwear
  • filing materials in drawers, cabinets and storage boxes
  • preparing and cooking meals
  • repairing paintings and artifacts

Environmental conditions Help

Location

L1
Regulated inside climate
L2
Unregulated inside climate
L3
Outside
L4
In a vehicle or cab

Hazards

H1
Dangerous chemical substances
H2
Biological agents
H3
Equipment, machinery, tools
H4
Electricity
H5
Radiation
H6
Flying particles, falling objects
H7
Fire, steam, hot surfaces
H8
Dangerous locations

Discomforts

D1
Noise
D2
Vibration
D3
Odours
D4
Non-toxic dusts
D5
Wetness
Location Regulated inside climate L1

The work performed is carried out indoors in a regulated environment, indoors in an unregulated environment, outdoors or in a vehicle. In many occupations, the Main Duties may be performed in more than one location. Therefore, a group may have more than one Location code, for example:

  • firefighting and fire prevention duties
  • maintenance of interior/exterior of buildings
  • managing operations and paperwork of farms

L1 - Regulated inside climate

A normal controlled environment such as an office, hospital or school.

Location Unregulated inside climate L2

The work performed is carried out indoors in a regulated environment, indoors in an unregulated environment, outdoors or in a vehicle. In many occupations, the Main Duties may be performed in more than one location. Therefore, a group may have more than one Location code, for example:

  • firefighting and fire prevention duties
  • maintenance of interior/exterior of buildings
  • managing operations and paperwork of farms

L2 - Unregulated inside climate

An inside work environment where the temperature or humidity may be considerably different from normal room conditions. In some groups, the nature of the duties affects the temperature or humidity of the work environment.

Examples:

  • extracting coal/ore from underground mines
  • operating machines that press or blow molten glass
  • unloading stock into cold storage freezers
  • operating furnaces to melt metals for casting
Location Outside L3

The work performed is carried out indoors in a regulated environment, indoors in an unregulated environment, outdoors or in a vehicle. In many occupations, the Main Duties may be performed in more than one location. Therefore, a group may have more than one Location code, for example:

  • firefighting and fire prevention duties
  • maintenance of interior/exterior of buildings
  • managing operations and paperwork of farms

L3 - Outside

An outdoor work environment where the worker is exposed to variations in weather conditions and seasonal weather patterns.

Examples:

  • maintaining lawns
  • repairing buildings, roads, bridges and dams
  • operating power saws to thin and space trees
  • delivering mail

Employment requirements Help

Education/training Help

1
No formal education or training requirements
2
Some high school education and/or on the job training or experience
3
High school
4
Course work, training, workshops and/or experience related to the occupation
5
Apprenticeship, specialized training, vocational school training
6
College, technical school (certificate, diploma)
7
Undergraduate degree
8
Post-graduate or professional degree
+
Additional requirement beyond education and training
R
Regulated requirement(s)
5, R
  • Sports officials require certification by and registration with a sport governing body or commission.
  • Sports referees require completion of an officiating program offered by a sport governing body.

Workplaces/employers Help

  • National, provincial and local sporting commissions, organizations and leagues

Exclusions Help

Remarks Help

  • For some occupations in this group, Body position 4(Other body positions), Limb co-ordination 2(Multiple limb co-ordination) may also apply.

Breakdown summary

Broad occupational category
5 – Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport
Skill level
B – Occupations usually require college education, specialized training or apprenticeship training
Minor group
52 – Technical occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport
Minor group
525 – Athletes, coaches, referees and related occupations
Unit group
5253 – Sports officials and referees
Version
NOC 2016 Version 1.3
Date modified: