Quote Originally Posted by English assassin
I don't see why having a judge rules something out of being a sport. team games have referres/umpires whose judgement on the rules may change the result of the match, yet any definition that rules football or cricket out of being a sport is obviously too narrow. Once you allow a referee how can you exclude a judge?
Because it takes the goal of winning out of the athlete's hands. A referee or umpire is, in most cases, a necessity to keep everyone within the rules, judge whether or not the puck crossed the goal line, and keep track of other things considered objective. A judge, like from gymnastic competitions or figure skating, is not the same kind of figure.