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Training and development in sport officials: A systematic review
Ian Cunningham1,2, Jason Mergler3, Nick Wattie2
1School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, UK.
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
|January 4, 2022
Summary
Scientific evidence for training sport officials is lacking. This review highlights a need for more research on training efficacy, skill transfer, and developmental trajectories for officials.
Area of Science:
- Sport Science
- Human Movement
- Sports Psychology
Background:
- Sport officials are crucial for organized sport, but research on their training and development is limited.
- While psychological and performance demands are known, expertise development and training effectiveness require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review 30 years of research on sport official training and development.
- To identify research gaps in areas such as talent development, training efficacy, and developmental trajectories.
Main Methods:
- A PRISMA systematic review of 27 studies from Web of Science, SportsDiscus, and PsycInfo databases.
- Analysis of research areas, study designs, and sport official characteristics, noting underrepresentation of female officials and overrepresentation of football officials.
Main Results:
- Predominant research focused on expert officials' training histories and responses to isolated-skill training.
- Video-based infraction detection tasks were common for perceptual-cognitive skills, but lacked on-field performance retention measures.
- Psychological skills training showed mixed effects, and physical training primarily impacted physiological measures and aging.
Conclusions:
- Current research lacks rigorous, sport-specific evidence on training transfer and program efficacy.
- Further investigation into macro-developmental trajectories and milestones is needed to inform effective training programs for sport officials.
