They're Only Human! Tension and Stress Predict Performance of Softball Umpires in National Championships

The psychology of sports officials is often overlooked in psychology research. The present study addressed this disparity by exploring relationships among the mood, stress, and performance of Australian softball umpires. Six male and two female participants aged 25-68 years (M = 48.95 ± 17.39 years) each completed the Brunel Mood Scale before games and provided saliva samples on multiple occasions prior to and after officiating games at two Australian National Softball Championships. Data from 65 games were analysed with performance assessed using Softball Australia's umpire assessment tool. A significant positive relationship (p < 0.01) was found between tension scores and umpire performance. Using a stepwise regression analysis, tension scores and baseline cortisol level collectively explained 22.6% of the variance in umpire performance scores. These findings suggest that umpires require an optimal level of tension in the period leading up to competition to perform successfully, supporting the relationship between tension and performance first proposed by the inverted-U hypothesis.