The role of the Burraco referee and how to become one

When playing Burraco, as in any other sport, you know you are obliged to follow the rules to the letter, and whenever one of the rules is not respected it is the referee's job to step in and make important decisions.

This is therefore a fundamental figure for the conduct of games and tournaments in this discipline, as it is the only figure officially authorised to supervise, sanction and verify the correct conduct of participants, ensuring that the game takes place in a clear, fair and peaceful manner.

The referee's presence covers the entire tournament, as they must keep an eye on all the various tables without lingering at any one in particular, and their intervention occurs exclusively when requested by a participating player: in practice the referee is not constantly present at the game table.

In addition to having an in-depth knowledge of this discipline's complex rules after a long period of preparation, the referee must also be rational, calm and good at listening. A Burraco referee is often a current or former player, giving them greater familiarity with the atmosphere at the table.

One of the referee's main duties is to prepare the venue where the tournament will take place, so that everything can proceed without complications.

An example of such a task is checking the scorecards and ensuring that pens are available on the tables: these scorecards are important as the scoring sequence is derived from them.

Another task of this key figure is checking the membership cards of the organising federation, which all participants must hold regularly. In addition, the jury will always be chosen by the referee from among the participants.

Beyond this, as mentioned, the referee intervenes on the field as an external figure and in most cases only on request - for example when cards are not correctly dealt by the dealer, when face-up cards are present within the stock pile, or when a player commits any infraction. Following such events, the referee intervenes and decides whether to apply a penalty or let the game continue disregarding the incident.

Obviously the situations in which the referee intervenes are not limited to these: sometimes they must intervene in cases not provided for by the rules, and it is precisely here that the referee demonstrates their class and ability.

How to become a Burraco referee

To become a federation referee, a person must first be registered with an Association affiliated with F.I.Bur. Following this, they must be appointed Provisional Club Referee by the National President, who will decide whether to accept or reject the application forwarded by the President of the association they belong to.

Next, they must be appointed Definitive Club Referee, whose application will be examined by the federal Examining Commission.

The subsequent steps are to be appointed Provincial Referee, then Regional Referee, and finally Provisional or Definitive National Referee. The entire process must obviously be completed after attending a preparation course organised by the federation.

It is important to repeat that not everyone is able to act as a referee, as it requires the right strength of character and the right attention to detail.