The Importance Of The Whistle
There’s more to that annoying shrill than you realize.
The only sports that don’t use a whistle have a foundation in baseball or are something we can do by ourselves like fishing, driving, or golf. That means the whistle is a vital piece to the majority of sports.
That little piece of plastic and rubber is more than just a piercing stop sign. When used correctly, it’s a part of the entire picture that makes a good referee into a great one.
The Sound
When the Fox 40 whistle was invented, it was a real revolution in a world of weakly performing pea whistles. Today, no one would know the difference unless they heard the two together.
A whistle communicates more than just saying stop. It conveys authority and convinces the participants and fans of the authority and presence of the ref. A single burst is a simple notification telling players something is wrong. That burst can be short and simple similar to looking at your teenager with the “Seriously?” look.
On the other hand, it can be an intense concentrated blast after a heated exchange or hard foul. Picture finding your child decorating the white walls of your hall stairs with the crayons you just bought. Yes, that thought in your head of “OH MY GOD! Stop that right now!”
The sound and intensity must match the play and foul in question. You wouldn’t scream at your teenager the way you’d react to crayons on the wall. It would cause more trouble than it’d be worth.
Your small child wouldn’t appreciate the nuance of the “Seriously?” look and your under-reaction to an important learning moment.
The Appearance
Who looks at a referee’s whistle? The answer is everyone, and they make judgments based based upon the appearance of said whistle. The wrong color whistle can even cost a referee an assignment.
I have a few pink whistles I use in certain situations. My experience taught me they work best on girls games. Boys, especially Hispanic, don’t react the same as girls. It softens girls and endears me to them.
For most boys events, they unconsciously have less faith in my authority upon seeing the pink whistle. It’s not a specific action or phrase that makes me say this. Instead, it’s a general feeling and series of reactions that force me consider the game and its participants before I pick a whistle.
As a more extreme example: A few years ago some football referees in Washington State were denied post season assignments because they used blue whistles instead of black as directed by the state.
Additionally, have you ever seen a referee with a torn up mouth guard on the whistle? Doesn’t it make you think they don’t care enough to have a nice whistle? They are fairly cheap (most are less than $10) so why can’t this guy bite the bullet and get one that looks good?
What is your reaction to a metal whistle? I know in my world when someone walks onto a court or field with that relic from the past they get a fair share of grief regardless of how pretty or imported it might be.
One Shot At A First Impression
A 16-paragraph post about a piece of plastic that any idiot can buy at a sporting goods store? Seriously?
Yes. Seriously.
No one sees me as anything more than a iron-fisted enforcer in a striped shirt. That means first impressions are everything. I have seven seconds to make that impression, and a simple, nearly unconscious thing like my whistle can mean the difference between a merely annoyed fan and a screaming lunatic if a foul doesn’t get called the right way at the right time with the right intensity for the play.
