Who are the officials in skeet shooting?

• The referee: checks the range is safe and the right squad is present, decides at once on hit, lost, no target and irregular targets, gives warnings and automatic deductions, rules on malfunctions and signs the scorecard.
• Assistant referees: two or three. They watch each target, signal immediately if they think it was lost and may keep the scorecard. They signal with red flags or with an electronic device showing a green light for a hit and a red light for lost.
• Who has the last word: "The Referee must always make the final decision."
• In doubt: the referee must consult the assistant referees before deciding.
• The jury: checks the ranges and target settings before the competition, supervises it, checks guns, cartridges and clothing at random, decides penalties and deals with protests.
• The chief referee: appoints and supervises the referees and decides when an athlete shoots a make-up round.
• The chief range officer: responsible for the ranges, machines and targets. This officer also sees to the security of the skeet houses once the settings are approved.
• Qualifications: referees hold an ISSF shotgun referee's licence and a current eyesight certificate.
• Coaching: referees watch for illegal coaching. Non-verbal coaching is allowed.
• Station 8: the two assistant referees move to the middle of the field, behind the referee, to help judge whether targets were hit within the boundaries.

A clay target breaks, or does not, in a fraction of a second and far from the referee. One person must decide at once so that the round keeps moving, and the assistants at the sides give a second angle on a chip that the referee could not see. The eyesight certificate is there for the same reason.