NRL refs scrap pink jerseys to gain respect

The match referees pose with their medals after the 2014 NRL Grand Final match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury Bulldogs. Photo / Getty Images.

The NRL are scrapping the pink jerseys worn by match officials in an attempt to have referees taken more seriously.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that some NRL officials believe the authority of a referee could be undermined by wearing the pink shirt.

This season the match officials will do blue or red jerseys - colours that the National Centre for Australian Studies lecturer Dr Tom Heenan said were more likely to encourage discipline.

"One of the arguments about this is that a stronger colour denotes a more disciplined culture so therefore a navy blue would promote more discipline than a pink," Heenan told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Despite the concerns of NRL officials, performance psychologist Chris Pomfret, of Condor Performance in Australia, maintains there is no evidence the colour of a referee's jersey had any impact on how he was perceived, however by banishing the pink strip league fans would notice the NRL's efforts in assisting the match officials in their jobs.

"As I understand it, the NRL spends a lot of time and energy on improving the performance of their officials as of course do the referees themselves," Pomfret said.

"The general public either don't recognise this, don't acknowledge it, or don't give it much thought and so they won't be aware of most changes which take place from year to year, or during the course of a season. As such, a change in colour can be a symbolic gesture which is easily recognised and suggests change in general, presumably change for the better."

Pomfret also felt that the NRL's move to change the colour of the jersey could imply they are too caught up in worrying what coaches and fans thought of referees.

"The colour of a uniform is irrelevant to the skill execution of referees, just the same as the colour of a jersey worn by players is irrelevant to their skill execution," he said.

"In short, the colour of a uniform shouldn't matter as it doesn't directly impact on the performance of a referee, which ultimately has the most influence on their perceived credibility."

To further aid and assist the match officials this season, NRL referees chief Tony Archer explained that one referee will control the bulk of each game, with that dominant official wearing a pink or blue armband.

"There is a team leader appointed each week, who will referee a minimum of 80 per cent of the game," Archer said.

"He will be the controlling referee, he may be positioned on the ruck at different stages if the game requires him to be on the ruck and if the game requires him to be on the 10 metre position, he will be on that position.

"The lead referee will have an armband similar to a soccer captain and that is how he will be recognised as the leader. Externally some people didn't know who the lead referee was last year but he will be recognised publicly and some clubs didn't even realise who it was at certain games. We need to understand that and sell that."