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How exposed to AI is a Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Official?

Of the 16 tasks O*NET lists for umpires, referees, and other sports officials, 2 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 12 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Basketball RefereeDiving JudgeDressage JudgeFootball RefereeHorse Show JudgeMajor League Baseball Umpire (MLB Umpire)RefereeSoccer RefereeSoftball UmpireSports Official
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
16
tasks rated for this occupation
19%
hold a degree, from a survey of 21
10k
people do this job in the US
34 of 40
least protected in arts, design and media

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

2
  • Teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport
  • Compile scores and other athletic records

Only with software built on top

2
  • Verify credentials of participants in sporting events, and make other qualifying determinations, such as starting order or handicap number
  • Research and study players and teams to anticipate issues that might arise in future engagements

Cannot be sped up

12
  • Officiate at sporting events, games, or competitions, to maintain standards of play and to ensure that game rules are observed
  • Inspect game sites for compliance with regulations or safety requirements
  • Resolve claims of rule infractions or complaints by participants and assess any necessary penalties, according to regulations
  • Signal participants or other officials to make them aware of infractions or to otherwise regulate play or competition
  • Inspect sporting equipment or examine participants to ensure compliance with event and safety regulations
  • Report to regulating organizations regarding sporting activities, complaints made, and actions taken or needed, such as fines or other disciplinary actions
  • Confer with other sporting officials, coaches, players, and facility managers to provide information, coordinate activities, and discuss problems
  • Judge performances in sporting competitions to award points, impose scoring penalties, and determine results
  • Verify scoring calculations before competition winners are announced
  • Start races and competitions
  • Keep track of event times, including race times and elapsed time during game segments, starting or stopping play when necessary
  • Direct participants to assigned areas, such as starting blocks or penalty areas
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.