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Soccer Referee Decision-Making: 'shall I Blow the Whistle?'
Andrew M Lane1, Alan M Nevill, Nahid S Ahmad
1University of Wolverhampton , UK.
Journal of Sports Science & Medicine
|November 22, 2013
Summary
This study explored how soccer referees make decisions, identifying key factors like accuracy, experience, and crowd influence. Findings offer insights into coping strategies for consistent performance under pressure.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Psychology of Sport
Background:
- A home advantage effect in soccer is often observed, with referee decision-making potentially contributing.
- Understanding the factors influencing referee decisions is crucial for analyzing match outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To qualitatively explore the multifaceted factors influencing decision-making in experienced soccer referees.
- To identify challenges and coping mechanisms employed by referees in professional soccer.
Main Methods:
- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five experienced soccer referees.
- Content analysis was used to identify themes and higher-order factors influencing referee decisions.
Main Results:
- Thirteen inter-related themes were identified, grouped into four higher-order themes: 'ideal-decision making', 'individual factors', 'experience factors', and 'situational factors'.
- Factors include accuracy-error, regulations, professionalism, opinion, concentration, control, experience, personality, personal life, crowd factors, player reaction, and environmental factors.
Conclusions:
- The study provides insights into the complexities of referee decision-making in professional soccer.
- Developing strategies to help referees cope with performance-related stressors, such as crowd noise, is recommended for practitioners.
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