Referees and Umpires
Official O*NET title: Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials (27-2023.00)
Also called: basketball referee, diving judge, dressage judge, football referee, horse show judge
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing referees and umpires work
1 of 7 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Green (little AI use yet) — 14%. 1 newer task is not in the data yet and left out.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Officiate at sporting events, games, or competitions, to maintain standards of play and to make sure that game rules are observed (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Inspect game sites for compliance with regulations or safety requirements (main task) — too new for the AI data
- Resolve claims of rule infractions or complaints by participants and assess any necessary penalties, according to regulations (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Signal participants or other officials to make them aware of infractions or to otherwise regulate play or competition (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Inspect sporting equipment or examine participants to make sure compliance with event and safety regulations (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Report to regulating organizations regarding sporting activities, complaints made, and actions taken or needed (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Talk with other sporting officials, coaches, players, and facility managers to provide information, coordinate activities, and discuss problems (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Judge performances in sporting competitions to award points, impose scoring penalties, and determine results — no recorded AI use
- Verify scoring calculations before competition winners are announced — no recorded AI use
- Start races and competitions — no recorded AI use
- Compile scores and other athletic records — no recorded AI use
- Verify credentials of participants in sporting events, and make other qualifying determinations — no recorded AI use
- Keep track of event times — no recorded AI use
- Direct participants to assigned areas — no recorded AI use
- Research and study players and teams to anticipate issues that might arise in future engagements — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport”. Try the prompt for: “Report to regulating organizations regarding sporting activities, complaints made, and actions taken or needed”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and referees and umpires
Will AI replace referees and umpires?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 1 of the 8 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Green rating (little AI use yet). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 14 of the 16 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which referee tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport.
Which referee tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: officiate at sporting events, games, or competitions, to maintain standards of play and to make sure that game rules are observed; resolve claims of rule infractions or complaints by participants and assess any necessary penalties, according to regulations; signal participants or other officials to make them aware of infractions or to otherwise regulate play or competition. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 29% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a referee start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
This job isn’t ranked: it has fewer than 8 main tasks we can measure, or its rating is an estimate.
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