Federica Simongini: “It takes a lot of passion to become a referee”

Federica Simongini was one of the referees who played during the FIP Platinum Sardegna, in Cagliari, his hometown.

Already a tennis referee since 2013, Federica is involved in padel three years ago now, she tells us about her experience.

Theory and lots of practice

“At the theoretical level, the padel requires extensive study, just like tennis. There was a time when the ways were separate. Today, with the growing popularity of this sport, we follow training at the end of which we acquire the qualification of tennis referee and padel".

“The more matches we referee, the better. It takes a lot of willpower and it is important to always be curious, show passion, ask questions and learn from those with more experience. Then you have to watch as many matches as possible. This is an essential aspect of learning how to keep an eye on the most complicated situations to assess.”

Evaluation of disputed balls

“The referee is quite far from the field, and some balls can be a little difficult to judge. This is why it is important to see a lot of matches. That's how I learned to tell if a ball is good or not and why. The training allows you to quickly grasp the rebounds, the way the ball comes off the windows”.

“You have to be particularly attentive when players leave the field after a Par 3, check that they do not touch the post or the net.”

The importance of fair play

“There is a lot of respect on both sides, and I see that it is the same in the relationships between players. In general, there is a lot of honesty and transparency, even on disputed balls.

Of course there are moments of discussion, a decision can change the match, but it is something that remains on the pitch.”

Immerse yourself in this sport

“As I said, it takes a lot of passion, especially when you move up the ladder. You have to travel, watch tournaments, and immerse yourself in this sport which has the advantage of attracting even those who don't practice it. Then, little by little, we find ourselves refereeing on the big stages. I have sometimes refereed international tournaments, but never at Foro Italico. I hope to be there one day”.

Amance Redondy

Became a fan of padel, I intend to keep you up to date with all the news padel ! See you soon on the slopes!