History Main / CombatReferee

-->-- '''Judge robot''', ''ZoidsNewCentury''

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''ZoidsNewCentury'' has its Judge robots, which enforce the rules of the mecha BloodSport that the series revolves around. They take this role extremely seriously, up to and including enforcing the rules with ''orbital bombardments'' from a fleet of {{Kill Sat}}s.
* Mr. Referee from ''{{Medabots}}'' plays this role, and can enforce his decisions with [[spoiler:a ''KillSat''!]]

[[quoteright:290:[[FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Combat_Referee_9719.jpg]]]]

* The original ''TheCulture'' novel, ''TheCulture/ConsiderPhlebas'', had a form of this. On a planet set up as a museum/memorial to a dead species by one of [[AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence The Sublimed]], the characters have to take care not to piss it off by causing too much collateral damage.

* The old arena mech combat game, ''[[StarSiege Battledrome]]'', had a referee that looked like a Frisbee. It handed out fines and disqualifications for firing banned weapons, shooting at the ref, or leaving the arena.

->-- '''Judge robot''', ''ZoidsNewCentury''

-->-- '''Judge robot''', ''ZoidsNewCentury''

* In a very meta way, the GM of any particular game qualifies, as the first rule of every RPG is that the GM is always right. Additionally, he has set the battlespace. However, unlike this trope, in most games a good GM is subtly on the side of the players, wanting them to win but win after being challenged and having earned a victory. An exception is TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}, where the GM is positively encouraged to screw the players over in as many hilariously unfair and arbitrary means as he can.

* FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance has Judges, which enforce arbitrary Laws during combat in order to force restrictions on the player.
** The presence of the judges is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in both Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and it's [[FinalFantasyTacticsA2 sequel]]. In the first game, the judges exist due to the nature of [[spoiler: Mewt's subconscious desire to keep the world of Ivalice in existence. With judges making combat as difficult as possible, the protagonists will have a harder time accomplishing their goals.]]
** As for Final Fantasy Tactis A2, Judges were created in ages past in order to prevent the meaningless deaths of clan members. Clans voluntarily adjudge themselves in order to gain the protection of the judge; adjudged clan's members cannot die in battle. The cost of this protection is following relatively simple rules of combat.

When some authority or power dictates what counts as "fighting fair" and actively enforces these rules on the battlefield. Almost always a neutral party in regards to the fighting itself, they exist solely to make sure the rules of battle are followed and punish those who break them. Their presence is often {{justified}} -- if the fighting in question is a [[TournamentArc Tournament]] or BloodSport, for example -- but they'll just as easily show up in real battle-to-the-death combat, in which case their presence may cause large amounts of FridgeLogic. Liberal application of the MST3KMantra is recommended. Expect an evil or ruthless character to attack the CombatReferee at some point; this may result in the heroes being forced into a no-rules grudge match, or it may prompt the referee to deal with his attackers himself via overwhelming force.

[[folder:Anime]]

** ProfessionalWrestling referees are this in {{Kayfaybe}}, though of course not in real life.

* In a very meta way, the GM of any particular game qualifies, as the first rule of every RPG is that the GM is always right. Additionally, he has set the battlespace. However, unlike this trope, in most games a good GM is subtly on the side of the players, wanting them to win but win after being challenged and having earned a victory. An exception is {{Paranoia}}, where the GM is positively encouraged to screw the players over in as many hilariously unfair and arbitrary means as he can.

** The presence of the judges is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in both Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and it's [[FinalFantasyTacticsA2 sequel]]. In the first game, the judges exist due to the nature of [[spoiler: Mewt's subconscious desire to keep the world of Ivalice in existence. With judges making combat as difficult as possible, the protagonists will have a harder time accomplishing their goals.]]
** As for Final Fantasy Tactis A2, Judges were created in ages past in order to prevent the meaningless deaths of clan members. Clans voluntarily adjudge themselves in order to gain the protection of the judge; adjudged clan's members cannot die in battle. The cost of this protection is following relatively simple rules of combat.

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[[folder:Sports]]
* Almost all combat sports have someone in this role. For it to be this, the sport should actually be a combat sport, not merely a contest.
** MixedMartialArts and Boxing referees enforce the rules of the bout, but leave scoring to other individuals.
** Professional Wrestling referees are this in {{Kayfaybe}}, though of course not in real life.
** Fencing referees act to determine priority of attacks in weapons which have right-of-way rules and to ensure fair and honorable action on the strip. Scoring is done with electronic machines where possible. Likewise, kendo matches have referees.
** Martial arts tournaments usually have the referee enforcing the rules and determining the scoring as well.
[[/folder]]

* Mr. Referee from ''{{Medabots}}'' plays this role.

* ''ZoidsNewCentury'' has its Judge robots, which enforce the rules of the mecha BloodSport that the series revolves around. They take this role ''extremely seriously''. There's an actual procedure for retaliating against a team that attacks a referee...mainly ''ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT.''

* ''ZoidsNewCentury'' has its Judge robots, which enforce the rules of the mecha BloodSport that the series revolves around.

* The InevitableTournament in ''PaperMario: The Thousand-Year Door'' has your manager, who provides certain restrictions for the matches, like having to use at least one [[LimitBreak Star Power ability]] or not using items. If you break one, you won't move up a rank after winning the match.

* In {{Dune}} it seems to be implied that the Sardauker is supposed to be this between the various nobles. Because of this TheEmperor had to go to elaborate lengths to avoid revealing his unjustified intervention on the Harkonnon side.

[[folder: RealLife]]
* In {{Istanbul}} during WorldWarII the {{Emniyet}} would act as this for spies of the belligerent powers in its territory; Turkey, obviously, didn't want too much trouble to spill over into its borders.
** Switzerland interned several aircraft of both sides for flying over their territory. Several German aircraft were actually shot down.
** This is a traditional role of neutrals during a large war. Usually the neutrals are the smaller powers and so cannot referee the war as a whole, but they can referee whatever aspects of the war take place in their own sphere of influence.
[[/folder]]

* ZoidsNewCentury has its Judge robots, which enforce the rules of the mecha BloodSport that the series revolves around.
* Mr. Referee from {{Medabots}} plays this role.

[[folder: RealLife]]

* In {{Istanbul}} during WorldWarII the {{Emniyet}} would act as this toward spies of the belligerent powers on it's territory. The reason of course was that Turkey obviously did not want to much trouble to spill over into it's borders.
** This is a traditional role of neutrals during a large war. Usually the neutrals are the smaller powers and so cannot referee the war as a whole, but they can referee whatever aspects of the war take place in their own sphere of influence.

[[/folder]]

* Classic ''{{Traveller}}''. Book 4 ''Mercenaries'' said that the Imperium reserved the right to intervene in military actions within its borders to prevent them from getting out of hand. One action that almost always provoked intervention was the use of [=WMD=]s, such as nuclear weapons.
** Not just classic. The {{Gurps}} version says pretty much the same thing.

** Koto and Juri are the referees during the Dark Tournament Arc in "YuYuHakusho"

* In "{{Pokemon}}" there are many referees, but, like the many "Officer Jenny"s and "Nurse Joy"s they are all practically identical. Brock will also fill this role for minor battles.

* In "Pokemon" there are many referees, but, like the many "OfficerJenny"s and "NurseJoy"s they are all practically identical.

* ZoidsNewCentury also has Judges, though this time they're robots enforcing the rules of the mecha BloodSport that the series revolves around.