Wrong call that decided a youth playoff
- Kind
- Ethical dilemma
Prompt
You are a volunteer referee in a basketball league for 11- and 12-year-olds. In the final seconds of a playoff game, you call a foul that gives one team two free throws, and they win by one point. Afterward, a parent shows you a video of the play, and you are fairly sure your call was wrong. League rules say a result is final once the referee signs the score sheet, which you have already done. The coach of the losing team is a friend of yours who has not seen the video, and the winning team's players celebrated as if they had won a championship. What would you do?
Practice this question
After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Professionalism and integrity
- Self-reflection and growth
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests whether you'll own a mistake that can't be reversed, and how you weigh honesty against league rules, friendship and children's feelings. Name who's affected: both teams of 11- and 12-year-olds, both coaches, the parents, the league, and your own integrity as a referee. Separate what you can change from what you can't, since the result stands but how you talk about the call is still your choice. Consider options such as telling the league, speaking to both coaches, or acknowledging the error to the losing team in a way that doesn't take the win from children. Explain how you'd avoid favoring your friend. When someone in authority asks you to stay quiet for the league's sake, respond respectfully and explain why honesty about errors builds trust.
More on honesty and disclosure of error
All 9 questions on this topicMock interviews
If you want to practice with a person, we run mock MMI and panel interviews with feedback on every answer.
