Disqualifying OPCs ("Other People's Children")

[Cindy C.]

Hey,

I had an interesting experience this weekend.  I recently completed 
the training to become a certified Stroke and Turn Judge for swim 
meets in our county.  It was a three-hour class in which they went 
over the requirements for each stroke and grounds for 
disqualification.  They also spent plenty of time telling us that we 
have to be 100% sure of a violation before we call it, but if we see 
it, we *have* to call it.  Even if the kid was losing the race by a 
country mile anyway.  Even if the kid has pigtails and is as cute as 
a button.  Even if the kid's parents are standing right there and 
Grandma flew in from across the country to watch.

I now appreciate how difficult it is to officiate.  There are four 
stroke and turn judges covering six lanes, so I had to keep an eye on 
three swimmers while they were in my half of the pool.  Geez, there 
is so much water churning that it is hard to see much of anything!  
When all three swimmers hit the wall at once, I couldn't focus on 
more than one, let alone remember what I was supposed to be watching 
for in the turn.  At times, my own children were swimming, so my eyes 
kept creeping over to see how they were doing.  I was worried that 
I'd have to disqualify my own kids and also trying hard not to be too 
critical of the other team's swimmers!

Fortunately, most of the kids swam correctly, and I didn't have to 
disqualify anyone.  

Until the butterfly -- the final event.  This poor boy was doing his 
level best, but butterfly was not his strength, shall we say.  Then I 
saw it -- a definite flutter kick instead of the required dolphin 
kick.  I winced and raised my hand to signal the violation.  The 
referee scooted over and grilled me:  What did I see, was I sure?  
Fortunately, the kid did it again while the referee was watching, so 
I was off the hook.  Whew!

How anyone manages to referee a fast-moving sport like American 
football or basketball, I'll never know.

Anyway, I'm on tap to officiate again on Wednesday for what is known 
as the "B" meet for, erm, novice swimmers.  I am told 
disqualifications are rampant.  Urgh.

Does anyone else have experience officiating?  What sport?  Does this 
get any easier?

Cindy -- who only learned to swim a couple of years ago and can't do 
much of anything in the water