“We don’t just want the correct call—we want good quality calls."
– Gatis Saliņš
That line stayed with me after the recording. Not because it’s a headline-grabber, but because it captures how elite refereeing is built on process - you know what you are calling, when you are calling and how you are calling. Building the house, for every single call
In this episode, Gatis Salins walks us through what it actually takes to prepare for the Olympics as a FIBA referee. We talk off-season routines (spoiler: there isn’t really one), the physical and mental workload of staying ready, and what it means to be evaluated constantly. Sometime in real-time with live heart-rate tracking.
The Analysis
One thing I loved was how easily Gatis moved between game scenarios and referee habits without ever over-complicating it. Here’s a quick breakdown of what I took away from our chat:
1. Presence: Scouting, Anticipating and Reading the game
Good officiating doesn’t just happen during live play. Some of the most important moments happen after the whistle, or before the game started.
Gatis emphasized the importance of pre-game scouting, not just to get to know the strategies of the teams, but to spot emotional and technical leaders, players who can escalate, and who needs extra awareness in tense situations. That kind of mental preparation helps you anticipate contact before it happens and recognize warning signs in real time.
He also spoke about the importance of staying alert between plays. If you relax after making a call, you might miss something brewing off-ball. Have your heard the term dead-ball officiating? I should make a whole episode out of it. In the context we discussed; watching the players after a foul call that involves a hard contact could be the examples. Referees should continue manage the players (and the game), emotions, and potential escalations. That’s what allows you to prevent problems rather than just react to them.
2. Process: Protocols, Reviews & Making the Right Call the Right Way
Whether it’s a tough out-of-bounds play or a high-stakes IRS situation, referees should remember: Protocols exist for a reason.
Gatis walked through how protocol helps streamline from minor interaction to major decisions on the court. For example when the lead isn’t sure in an OOB situation, they raise a hand, seek help from their partners, and use correct IOT to keep the process clean. This kind of collaboration builds trust, with the crew, with players, coaches, and even spectators who are watching how decisions unfold.
When IRS is used, it’s not just about rewatching the play. It’s about clear communication from start to finish:
Announcing what’s being reviewed and why
Selecting the best camera angles (not just the most dramatic ones)
Using tools like looking for a change in the “spin of the ball”
Taking the time to make a conclusive decision—without rushing the moment
And announcing it with clarity, consistency, and professionalism
In elite level IRS is not a sidepiece it is the whole show. Referees have to practice their communication style, tone and speed, body language, choice of words rigourously.
3. Progress: Reviewing with intent
Mistakes happen—even at the Olympics. There is solid guidance on how you learn from them.
Gatis, like many elite referees I assume, doesn’t stop at “right or wrong.” He rewinds the play and scrutinize positioning, timing, the anticipation (or lack there of) to understand what went well and what didn’t.
If he missed something, he asks:
Was I in the wrong spot?
Did I read the action late?
Was I too far to see between players?
That’s what FIBA means when they say they want the high-quality correct call—not just accuracy, but process. It’s a model worth applying outside officiating too: don’t just fix the outcome, understand the system behind it.
One moment I really liked was when we talked about his longtime referee partner Martins Kozlovskis. No drama, no competition, just two colleagues supporting each other, showing up for big games and regular season nights alike. Refereeing is hard man, and this part reminded me that I need to find somebody I can confide in, my own Kozlovskis if you will.
If you're into the nuts and bolts of officiating—or just curious what preparation looks like when the margin for error is razor-thin—this episode is for you.
