Hey, basketball fans, let's talk about the recent referee turmoil in the CBA. No, in the semifinals and finals of the 2023~2024 season, the Chinese Basketball Association invited foreign referees, and it has been 11 years since the last foreign referees appeared in the CBA.
Speaking of the G2 game, a foreign referee became the referee for the first time, which is a recognition of the ability of foreign referees by the Chinese Basketball Association. They grasped the scale of blowing penalties on the field very accurately, and the judgment of technical fouls was also quick to cut through the mess, without dragging the mud at all, and the rhythm of the game and the emotions of the players were controlled steadily. Compared with domestic referees, foreign referees are significantly stricter in their control of those small actions, which is closer to the blowing penalty standards of international competitions.
The arrival of foreign referees is both a challenge and an opportunity for domestic referees. The challenge is that there is indeed a gap between us and the law enforcement level of international referees, and domestic referees still have to work harder in technical execution and game control. The opportunity is that through exchanges and learning with foreign referees, domestic referees can adapt to the blowing standards of international competitions more quickly and improve their law enforcement level.
The Chinese Basketball Association invited foreign referees this time to promote exchanges between Chinese and foreign referees and help domestic referees grow rapidly. In the future, the Basketball Association also plans to strengthen cooperation with FIBA, such as sending Chinese referees to high-level professional leagues in Europe to adjudicate and further improve the refereeing ability of domestic referees.
If the CBA league wants to develop well, a fair and professional referee team is the key. The Basketball Association must also continue to promote the international training and exchange of referees, ensure that the level of CBA referees is in line with international standards, and add fuel to the competitiveness of the national team in the international arena.