--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In short, they're a bit like a referee at…" description: "\"“In short, they're a bit like a referee at a sporting event: Do a good job and nobody notices; make a mistake and the finger pointing begins.”\" — Andre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/andrew-longman-219188_failure_in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at_1874812.jpg" --- # In short, they're a bit like a referee at a sporting… ![“In short, they're a bit like a referee at a sporting event: Do a good job and nobody notices; make a mistake and the finger pointing begins.” quote by Andrew Longman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/andrew-longman-219188_failure_in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at_1874812.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/andrew-longman-219188_failure_in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at_1874812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/andrew-longman-219188_failure_in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at_1874812.jpg) > ““In short, they're a bit like a referee at a sporting event: Do a good job and nobody notices; make a mistake and the finger pointing begins.”” [Andrew Longman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-longman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A referee's work is unnoticed when flawless, but mistakes draw immediate criticism **In simple terms:** Good work often goes unseen; errors attract blame Key Takeaway Strive for excellence and accept scrutiny Themes Failure Project management Accountability Visibility Feedback Mood cautious analytical Type advice reflective When to use this quote - Team meetings - project reviews - performance evaluations Key Concepts Management Sports analogy Leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle criticism after a mistake? - What systems reduce error visibility? A Different Perspective Mistakes are inevitable and can be constructive ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Finger Pointing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finger-pointing-672021/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Good job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-job/) [Like Referee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-referee-1378294/) [Pointing Begins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pointing-begins-2611328/) [Project](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project/) [Project management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project-management/) [Referee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/referee/) [Referee Sporting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/referee-sporting-2611327/) ## Related quotes > [It's official, like the referee whistle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-bettis/it-s-official-like-the-referee-whistle/) [Jerome Bettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-bettis/) > [“Don't think. FEEL. It's like a finger pointing at the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/don-t-think-feel-it-s-like-a-finger-pointing-at-the-moon-do-not/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [WHY POINT A FINGER AT SOMEONE WHEN THREE IS POINTING BACK AT YOU?Soo...DONT POINT FINGERS UNLESS YOU CHECK YOURSELF FIRST!(:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/why-point-a-finger-at-someone-when-three-is-pointing-back-at-you-soo/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) > [If you mess something up, remember who got you there. Don't be pointing fingers, even if finger-pointing is called for. Only one you got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/if-you-mess-something-up-remember-who-got-you-there-don-t-be-pointing/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [“The common error of ordinary religious practice is to mistake the symbol for the reality, to look at the finger pointing the way and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-common-error-of-ordinary-religious-practice-is-to-mistake-the/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [“The most prominent Buddhist in the world today, I think, would likely say that this is even truer in his case: he is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-prominent-buddhist-in-the-world-today-i-think-would-likely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am a finger pointing to the moon. Don't look at me; look at the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/i-am-a-finger-pointing-to-the-moon-don-t-look-at-me-look-at-the-moon/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“Creation was never designed to satisfy your heart. Creation was made to be one big finger pointing you to the One who alone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/creation-was-never-designed-to-satisfy-your-heart-creation-was-made/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [I only want sweet peace and kindliness when I awaken -- but there's always some finger pointing, telling me some terrible deed I committed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-only-want-sweet-peace-and-kindliness-when-i-awaken-but-there-s/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“When all great movements are in their infancy, they are nourished basically on the mother's milk of righteous indignation. It is a time of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-galaxy/when-all-great-movements-are-in-their-infancy-they-are-nourished/) [Jackson Galaxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-galaxy/) > [“Quand le doigt montre le ciel, l’imbécile regarde le doigt. \[When a finger is pointing up to the sky, only a fool looks at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-jeunet/quand-le-doigt-montre-le-ciel-l-imb-cile-regarde-le-doigt-when-a/) [Jean-Pierre Jeunet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-jeunet/) > [“A finger pointing to the moon is not the moon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-nydahl/a-finger-pointing-to-the-moon-is-not-the-moon/) [Ole Nydahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-nydahl/) > [“It's like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/it-s-like-a-finger-pointing-away-to-the-moon-don-t-concentrate-on-the/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [And it's not a finger-pointing issue to me; I take as much responsibility as I can. It was more just me not really knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-guarini/and-it-s-not-a-finger-pointing-issue-to-me-i-take-as-much/) [Justin Guarini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-guarini/) > [We need to start acting like a team, focus on winning and not worry about all of the other stuff that goes on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/we-need-to-start-acting-like-a-team-focus-on-winning-and-not-worry/) [Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In short, they're a bit like a referee at a sporting event: Do a good job and nobody notices; make a mistake and the finger pointing begins.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew Longman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-longman/in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at-a-sporting-event-do-a-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-longman/in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at-a-sporting-event-do-a-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/andrew-longman-219188_failure_in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at_1874812.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/andrew-longman-219188_failure_in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at_1874812.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/andrew-longman-219188_failure_in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at_1874812.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In short, they're a bit like a referee at a sporting event: Do a good job and nobody notices; make a mistake…” — Andrew Longman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Andrew Longman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-longman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In short, they're a bit like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-longman/in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at-a-sporting-event-do-a-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-longman/in-short-they-re-a-bit-like-a-referee-at-a-sporting-event-do-a-good/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```