By Grace Coan, sophomore Ad/PR major from Colleyville

Waterball has become one of the most popular sports here at Abilene Christian University.

Students varying from different social clubs, majors and classifications participate in this epic event. The players on the “field”, an indoor swimming pool, wait eagerly for the sound of the whistle before they throw themselves at the ball and carry it on to victory.

Because of the newness of this game at ACU, a few kinks are still in need of revision. The referees are a very crucial part of this game; they keep the game fair by abiding by the rules.

I attended my first game this week and was surprised by how many instances I saw that the referee was not following his duty. I noticed multiple times where a participant would wrap their arm around another player by the neck. I saw the referee call foul on only half of these instances.

I do understand that there are many avid sport’s fans out there and I must admit I am not one of them. However, I strongly believe in justice and consistency, especially in a competition. If a referee is abandoning their position to play fairly, they should not be paid for their services, or should be replaced.

I hope that Abilene Christian will take this into consideration before creating a rulebook for the 2014 season and hiring its next referees for Waterball or any sport.