[Subdivide8452]

That’s like saying a sports game doesn’t need a referee because players should follow the rules. At times you perhaps don’t follow them as close because you’re too caught up. So it’s nice to have a party that oversees it.

[unglaublich]

The current analogy is sports teams selecting their own referees.

[lewhoo]

A good argument for independent regulation/oversight.

[Kalium]

One key question is if the teams are being effective referees or just people titled "referee".

If it's the latter, then getting rid of them does not seem like a loss.

[joenot443]

Curling famously doesn’t have referees because players follow the rules. It wouldn’t work in all sports, but it’s a big part of curling culture.

[fluoridation]

So what happens if the teams disagree on whether a rule was broken? The entire point of a referee is that it's supposed to be an impartial authority.

[esoterica]

It’s also a zero stakes sport that nobody watches and involves barely any money so there is less incentive to cheat.

[mrits]

You usually don’t have a referee in sports. 99% of the time it’s practice or pickup games