In which sport do the officials have the greatest influence?

[tech]

Where do they influence the outcome of the game the most? Baseball, football, basketball, etc.? Discuss.

[pshreck]

Basketball.

[B Mando]

Soccer. For anyone who knows anything about soccer you would know that the same ref always is at the big games because he makes a difference. He is being forced into retirment this year because of age regulations though. Perilugi Collina is the guys name. You would already know that though if you followed the sport.

[bernie]

I'd say of those listed, basketball. Since their whistle and sending someone to the foulline can have a much more direct impact on the score. This also happens great frequency.

b

[Ryner]

How can the answer be anything but baseball?

[DavidC]

Boxing.

[gumpzilla]

Ultimate frisbee.

EDIT: It's probably not apparent, but I'm serious.

[LethalRose]

beer pong

[Edge34]

[ QUOTE ]
How can the answer be anything but baseball?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because the ump's decisions on strikes and balls have nowhere near the direct impact of a blown foul call in basketball or many many blown calls during New England Patriot games. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Skipbidder]

Refs in wrestling have a great deal of influence. (Mainly speaking about high school folk-style wrestling...I don't know so much about G-R or freestyle.)
Stalling/inactivity calls are extremely subjective.
Some refs will call pins that others won't.

[Redmen62]

Figure Skating.

[pryor15]

[ QUOTE ]
Basketball.

[/ QUOTE ]

i was thinking baseball, with the balls and stikes, etc, but in b-ball you've got the added feature of foul trouble. so, 2 bad calls and Shaq's on the bench for a long stretch. you don't have that in anything other than hockey. but in hockey they don't shoot free throws, obviously.

[PokerFink]

Hard to disagree with this. Offsides and penaltys are two of the most important decisions made by any referee in any sport. Penaltys are often very subjective and hard to determine, and a goal in soccer means far more than any single score an any other sport.

[PokerFink]

Figure skating has judges, not officials.

[SGS]

I'm gonna say basketball as bad calls against a teams star can seriously hurt a team. Football plays can be reviewed and I don't know many other sports officials play a significant role in.

SGS