Padel, word to the referee: ‘I’ll explain how not to make a wrong decision’

If VAR in football has helped dispel many doubts (but not all, just ask Liverpool in the match they lost against Tottenham…), the same goes for padel. Just like in football, the advent of technology to eliminate less visible errors has made a huge contribution to the credibility of decisions, but has not 100% eliminated moments of discussion and tension between players and referees. Not as much as happened in tennis, at least, to make a comparison with another racket sport. Federica Simongini, match official in the FIP Platinum Sardegna tournament underway in Cagliari, explains how incorrect evaluations can be limited.

Train your eye

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Study, hours and hours of video between the play button and the rewind button, to train the eye and reaction times on the most difficult plays: “The referee is quite far from the field and some balls, thanks to the grate, can be a little difficult to follow – analyzes Simongini -. This is why it is important to watch matches, and this is how I learned to understand if a ball is good or out and why. Practice helps you quickly grasp rebounds, the way in which the ball comes out of the grate.” These are the most complex moments: “Particular attention is needed when players leave the field, check that they do not touch the post or the net, for example. Or when they make a “por tres”, the shot that sends the ball out of the cage: even in that case it is necessary to check that everything is done according to the rules, without touching anything with the racket or the foot. Here too, experience counts.” On the relationship with the players: “There is a lot of respect on both sides, honesty and transparency even in fair play between those on the pitch. Naturally there are moments of discussion, a decision it can change the game, but it’s something that remains on the pitch. It has never happened to me that, after one of these moments, the player in question returned to the episode in subsequent matches.”

Becoming a referee

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But how do you become a padel referee? Simongini’s experience as a “pala” match official started right from his native Cagliari in 2020 (he had already been a tennis referee for 7 years), when the Sardinian capital gave life to the FIP Star, a tournament that later became decisive for the growth of padel in Italy. “Once the paths were separate – he says -. Today, with the growing popularity of this sport, you take a course at the end of which you acquire the qualification as both a tennis and padel referee”. After that it becomes a matter of practice and apprenticeship: “The more matches you referee, the better, you need a lot of availability, and it’s important to always be curious, demonstrate passion, ask questions and learn from those who have more experience. And then watch as many matches as possible, not only on the field but also on video. It is a fundamental aspect for learning to keep an eye on the most complicated situations to evaluate.” Next goal? “I have happened to take part in international tournaments but never the Foro Italico… I hope one day to be there too.”