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Copyright of Cuadernos de Psicología del Deporte is the property of Cuadernos de Psicologia del Deporte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this article is to foster debate and discussion around the developing sport match official research area. To that end the literature in this field is examined and discussed with gaps in the research identified and explored. Areas of future research are suggested as pertinent areas for scholars to focus upon, with mental health, online abuse, gender studies and investigations into the treatment and support for young people who officiate particularly important. It is the intention of this commentary to encourage academics from sport research fields that have not traditionally considered match officials as an area of interest, and to motivate those from disciplines outside sport related enquiry to consider adapting and applying methods to this unique population, in order to continue the development of scholarly activity and collaboration in this rapidly evolving subject area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports officials, players, and fans are concerned about overseas player rankings for the IPL auction. These rankings are becoming progressively essential to investors when premium leagues are commercialized. The decision-makers of the Indian Premier League choose cricketers based on their own experience in sports and based on performance statistics on several criteria. This paper presents a scientific way to rank the players. Our research examines and contrasts different multicriteria decision-making algorithms for ranking foreign players under various criteria to assess their performance and efficiency. The paper uses three MCDM algorithms, TOPSIS, TODIM, and NR-TOPSIS, for foreign players ranking in the Indian Premier League. Our analysis is limited to the batsmen and bowlers only. We perform the analysis using Python language, a popular high-level programming language. Finally, we perform a sensitivity analysis to determine the stability of each method when the weights of the criterion or the value of a parameter was changed. Our analysis exhibits the superiority of TODIM over TOPSIS and NR-TOPSIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport mega-events are often accompanied by allegations of bribery and corruption, with concerns around corruption opportunities expected to continue into the 2020s. Research on anti-corruption around sport mega-events is important for understanding how these risks can be mitigated. This paper addresses the gap in knowledge surrounding anti-corruption issues associated with the organisation of sport mega-events. 39 interviews were conducted with anti-corruption specialists, sport governance officials, and stakeholders working in sport to gain their perspective on bribery and corruption issues and prevention in relation to sport mega-events. Thematic analysis was then conducted on the data. The results showed a consistency in perception with regards to the main issues and areas of concern for national and international sport governing bodies involved in organising sport mega-events, as well as providing a number of suggestions for addressing these through specific policies for implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport officials play an important role in both the quality of sport programming and competition level. To help identify potential areas high school athletic associations could emphasize as part of recruitment and retention efforts, the current investigation sought to understand the level of satisfaction of individuals certified to officiate high school athletics. Three-hundred ninety-four officials completed an online survey composed of items from the Referee Retention Scale (RRS) and the Michigan Organization Assessment Questionnaire Job Satisfaction Subscale (MOAQ-JJS). Research findings indicated the officials were motived intrinsically to officiate because of a love of sports and competition. Renumeration was not a primary driver of their desire to officiate as the money earned was mainly seen as extra income. Mentoring is an important component of recruitment and retention efforts as results suggest individuals we encourage to officiate by a friend or mentor. Overall, officials felt the association considered their needs but agreed that favoritism or politics played in a role in game assignments. Based on the findings of the study, associations should consider emphasizing those aspect of officiating that intrinsically motivate potential officials. Additionally, associations should work to engage current officials in both recruitment and retention efforts as peer mentors. Finally, the results indicate the recruitment of more female officials may help with current official shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study tests the new Expanded Sport Official's Decision-Making Model (ESODMM), which expands the existing Official's Specific Decision-Making Model by integrating emotion, anticipation, and information-processing into its conceptual framework. To test the role of anticipation and emotion in the ESODMM, 56 basketball officials (32 high school level, 24 NCAA division 1) were assigned to either high (crowd noise and peer evaluation) or low (no crowd noise or peer evaluation) stress conditions and asked to make calls on occluded or non-occluded basketball video clips while wearing eye tracking glasses. MANOVA and ANOVA analyses revealed that officials in the high-stress condition experienced more stress resulting in less accurate decisions than those in the low-stress condition. Additionally, experienced officials made more accurate decisions and goal-directed gaze behaviours than novices did. Moreover, decision-making accuracy was lowest in the occluded trial block. The findings support the important role that emotion, information-processing, and anticipation have in officials' decision-making. Implementing the ESODMM can provide researchers with a comprehensive model to guide their understanding of officials' decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used qualitative methods to explore the stressors, appraisal mechanism, emotional response, and effective/ineffective coping strategies experienced by elite rugby union referees during pressurized performances. Participants included seven male rugby union referees from the United Kingdom (Mage = 27.85, SD = 4.56) who had been officiating as full-time professionals for between 1 and 16 years (M = 4.85, SD = 5.42). Data revealed that the referees encountered a number of stressors, which were appraised initially as a 'threat', and elicited negatively-toned emotions. The referees were able to maintain performance standards under pressure by adopting proactive, problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies which managed effectively the stressors and their emotions. However, the use of avoidance-coping, reactive control, and informal impression management were perceived as ineffective coping strategies, and associated with poor performance and choking. Recommendations are offered to inform the psychological skills training of rugby union referees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the movement and physiological demands of Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) referees, officiating with a 2-referee (ie, lead and pocket) system, and to compare the demands of the lead and pocket referees. Methods: Global positioning system devices (10 Hz) were used to obtain 86 data sets (lead, n = 41; pocket, n = 45) on 19 NRL referees. Total distance, relative distance covered, and heart rate per half and across match play were examined within and between referees using t tests. Distance, time, and number of movement "efforts" were examined in 6 velocity classifications (ie, standing <0.5, walking 0.51-2.0, jogging 2.01-4.0, running 4.01-5.5, high-speed running 5.51-7.0, and sprinting >7.0 m/s) using analysis of variance. Cohen d effect sizes are reported. Results: There were no significant differences between the lead and pocket referees for any movement or physiological variable. There was an overall significant (large, very large) effect for distance (% distance) and time (% time) (P < .001) between velocity classifications for both the lead and pocket referees. Both roles covered the largest distance and number of efforts at velocities of 0.51-2.0 m/s and 2.01-4.0 m/s, which were interspersed with efforts >5.51 m/s. Conclusions: Findings highlight the intermittent nature of rugby league refereeing but show that there were no differences in the movement and physiological demands of the 2 refereeing roles. Findings are valuable for those responsible for the preparation, training, and conditioning of NRL referees and to ensure that training prepares for and simulates match demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the relation between game performance, physiological responses, and field-test results in Tunisian basketball referees. Methods: Computerized time-motion analysis, heart rate (HR), and blood lactate concentration [La-] were measured in 15 referees during 8 competitive games (under-19-y-old Tunisian league). Referees also performed a repeated-sprint test (RSA), Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1 (YYIRTL1), agility T-test, and 30-m sprint with 10-m lap time. Computerized video analysis determined the time spent in 5 locomotor activities (standing, walking, jogging, running, and sprint), then grouped in high-, moderate-, and low-intensity activities (HIAs, MIAs, and LIAs, respectively). Results: YYIRTL1 performance correlated with (1) total distance covered during the 4th quarter (r = .52, P = .04) and (2) distance covered in LIA during all game periods (P < .05). Both distance covered and time spent in MIA during the 1st quarter were negatively correlated with the YYIRTL1 performance (r = -.53, P = .035; r = -.67, P = .004, respectively). A negative correlation was found between distance covered at HIA during the 2nd half (3rd quarter + 4th quarter) and fatigue index of the RSA test (r = -.54, P = .029). Mean HR (expressed as %HRpeak) during all game periods was correlated with YYIRTL1 performance (.61 ≤ r < .67, P < .01). Conclusions: This study showed that (1) the YYIRTL1 performance is a moderate predictor of game physical performance in U-19 basketball referees and (2) referees' RSA correlates with the amount of HIA performed during the 2nd half, which represents the ability to keep up with play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on reporting the demonstrations that occurred during the Austria-Hungary football match in Vienna. Topics include the aggressive behavior displayed by players from both teams, and the subsequent violent incidents involving the spectators; and the police had to ensure the safety of the referees and players, evacuate certain areas of the stadium, and provide a secure departure for the Hungarian teams.

In 1933 the Kookaburra Football Club, a 'half-caste' team on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, attempted to negotiate a tour of major Queensland centres. The trip did not occur, in part because of resistance from the Chief Protector of Aboriginals who prohibited some players from travelling and investigated others. Beyond simply challenging the protectorate's control, the episode offers insight into the arbitrary nature of race, the mechanics of racial categorisation and extrajudicial governmental intervention in the context of Thursday Island and the Torres Strait, and extends understandings of official attitudes to sport in Indigenous Queensland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Physical Education (24482455) is the property of Universidade Estadual de Maringa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A London-based rugby team toured Kenya mere days after the recently concluded, extremely controversial 1980 British Lions rugby tour of apartheid South Africa. Failure by Kenyan officials to retract the invitation for yet another British team was an outright denial of clearly stated anti-apartheid principles. After student campaigners advocated a boycott of the tour by the London Metropolitan Police, the University of Nairobi rugby team was the first to refuse to compete. This action by a Kenyan university team choosing to disrupt a British sports tour broke the top-down mold of past Kenyan anti-apartheid sport activism and was a rare instance of a student-led sport boycott that directly opposed the stance taken by Kenyan sport officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science (MJSS) is the property of Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science (MJSS) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of FuG: Zeitschrift für Fußball & Gesellschaft is the property of Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Justicia (0124-7441) is the property of Universidad Simon Bolivar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sport officials are crucial members of sport. Researchers have studied their roles numerous times, with results often informing sport procedures (e.g., athlete order in artistic sports). As the research on sport officiating spans five decades and several topics of interest, it is important that researchers periodically synthesize the literature. Purpose: The purpose of this study, therefore, was to conduct an analysis of literature on sport officiating research. Method: Guided by previous researchers, we executed four methodological steps including the article search, article retrieval, sample validity, and article coding. These steps yielded 386 articles for analysis, which ranged from 1971 to 2018. We coded the articles based on four main categories: article information, participant demographics, contextual information, and methodology. Results: Key findings from this analysis include a recent influx in sport officiating research, a vast number of publication journals, few studies dedicated to female-only participants, many studies missing relevant demographic information, an over-representation of interactors, and a reliance on quantitative studies. Conclusions: Though many researchers have conducted studies on sport officiating, several articles had poor methodological rigor (e.g., not reporting key demographic information). In the discussion and conclusion sections, we highlight strengths and weaknesses within the field and provide recommendations to guide future researchers and practitioners, to ensure robust research designs and guide applied practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate the role of organizational culture mediator in the effect of knowledge management on empowerment and organizational entrepreneurship in sport organizations' employees. Statistics population includes all employees of Esfahan's sport boards that was selected 234 people according to Kerjcie and Morgan table as sample; but for insuring the results of data analyzing and suitable popularization, 300 questionnaires were distributed and collected 274 acceptable questionnaire. The instruments used to collect the data include Lawson (knowledge management standard questionnaire; Spritzer organizational entrepreneurship standard questionnaire; Rezaie empowerment standard questionnaire; and Robbins organizational culture standard questionnaire. Results of the study revealed that knowledge management has positive significant effects on empowerment (0.39), organizational culture (0.78), and organizational entrepreneurship (0.18) in employees of Esfahan's sport boards. Also in the indirect way, knowledge management variable on employee's empowerment according to organizational culture mediator with 0.50 coefficient, and knowledge management variable on organizational entrepreneurship according to organizational culture mediator with 0.73 coefficient has positive significant effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a Mental Toughness Education and Training Program (MTETP) in elite football officiating. The MTETP consisted of four individual and two group-based workshops designed to develop mental toughness (MT) and enhance performance in three English Football League (EFL) referees. Adopting a single-subject, multiple-baseline-across-participants design, MT and referee-assessor reports were evaluated. Self and coach-ratings of MT highlighted an instant and continued improvement in all three referees during the intervention phases. Performance reports of all referees improved throughout the intervention phases compared with the baseline phase. Social validation data indicated that an array of strategies within the MTETP facilitated MT development. Discussions acknowledge theoretical and practical implications relating to the continued progression of MT interventions in elite sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports officials play a critical role in organized sport, yet are often marginalized (Auger et al., 2010), or overlooked within sport research (Erikson et al., 2012). This is unfortunate given that sports official attrition rates have reached crisis levels (American Sport Education Program, 2011; Livingston & Forbes, 2016). While previous research has examined why officials discontinue (e.g., Hancock et al., 2015; Livingston & Forbes, 2016), less research (e.g., Koh & Hanrahan, 2017) has explored officials' burnout, which may explain attrition. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between officials' burnout, resilience, perceived social support, life satisfaction, time spent in officiating activities, and officiating experience. Sports officials (N = 1,598; M age = 49.06, SD = 12.45) self-reported their age, weekly hours in officiating activities, burnout, perceived social support, life satisfaction, and resilience. Exploratory stepwise multiple regression results on burnout indicated resilience and esteem support were significant negative predictors of reduced sense of accomplishment, F (5,1491) = 107.06, p <. 001, R² = .27. A separate regression showed resilience and emotional support were significant negative predictors of exhaustion, F (5,1489) = 78.93, p < .001, R2 = 21. Finally, emotional support and resilience were significant negative predictors of officiating devaluation, F (5,1489) = 69.59, p < .001, R² = 22. Officials' resilience, life satisfaction, and perceived social support were negatively correlated with burnout dimensions (p < .001). Results suggest enhancing officials' resilience and perceived social support may lessen burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the content production at the Olympic Channel through a lens of gender. The eleven interviews with the Olympic Channel professionals suggest that (a) sports media professionals claimed considerable agency, with individual personality and perspectives heavily influencing their journalism practice; (b) regarding content selection, the Olympic Channel seeks to strike a balance between Olympic values and commercial pursuits; and (c) the considerable proportion of female employees play an important role in facilitating a female-friendly workplace in sports newsrooms. This study illustrates the degree to which employees at an International Olympic Committee's (IOC) official sports media platform value gender equality in their journalism practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kinesiologia Slovenica is the property of Faculty of Sport and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sport for All in Brazil, like several such initiatives elsewhere, utilized print media channels, as well as radio and television, to spread the ideals and values of athletics and legitimize a 'sports mindset. This article seeks to analyze the construction of the Sport for All Campaign in Brazil under the narrative of the Jornal dos Sports. The investigation shows that the discursive order at the time points to three basic elements that had been present since the Estado Novo period: the discipline discourse, the nationalist discourse, and the moral and civic discourse. Moreover, a large portion of the actions released show a relationship of dependence on the State as the overseer of sport, conflicting with the objectives prescribed in the official documents of the Sport for All Campaign, which assume entrusting society to autonomously organize itself around sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a study investigating the struggle for influence in an Indigenous community. With an eye on the potential further subordination on certain subgroups, we studied how Sámi sports club officials outside Sámi core areas perceive their relationship with clubs in core Sámi areas and the federative Sámi sports organization. Methodologically, we performed interviews with representatives of Indigenous sports clubs and employed Bourdieu's concept of symbolic power as a theoretical framework. The results show how Sámi sports club officials outside core areas consider their peers within core Sámi areas as superior and that this relationship is engrained and taken for granted. The perceived superiority is based on the judgment of sports club officials outside the core Sámi areas, showing how the elite is defined as much by its subordinates as by the elite itself, to use Bourdieu's conceptualization of symbolic power. In conclusion, these results show how the struggle for influence in an Indigenous community can create further subordination of subgroups in a group that is already subordinated in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relying on oral sources, this article aims to discuss the political meanings of the engagement of the football presidents with their clubs. The text seeks to show how these presidents represented politics, by considering two different biographies: Ângelo Chaves, president of Fluminense Football Club, and George Helal, president of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. The existing literature on this subject has never delved into the biographies of sports officials, and in particular the way the presidents engage in sport politics. In reports, politics is represented as a sacrifice that football presidents offers to the club. The oral sources helped to reconstruct their culture, and the way these groups imagine and think politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of power experienced by medical professionals working in various sport settings has been consistently evidenced by sociologists researching the provision of medical care to athletes. In this paper, which focuses on the work of medical professionals within unregulated combat sports in England, we extend this discussion by focusing on the means by which such professionals attempt to (re)construct power within contexts where it cannot be taken for granted. To explore this issue, we conducted 200 hours of observational fieldwork at competitive combat sports events, along with interviews with 25 medical professionals with experience in this field, 7 combat sports referees and 9 event promoters and their staff. Employing the concept of power as 'intersubjective accomplishment', we argue that the influence necessary for medical professionals to undertake their work must be actively won within specific situations, principally relying on their ability to tactically interact with various other people. In so doing, we evidence both successes and failures of medical staff in this respect, arguing that such informal means of securing power make caring for the health of combat athletes a challenging proposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication and player management are integral to effective sport officiating, but most research has focused on physical performance and decision making. The few previous studies of officiating communication tended to use "transmission" conceptualizations of communication (e.g., decision communication, impression management). Eleven officiating-development managers and coaches from 7 peak Australian sport bodies were interviewed to explore conceptualizations of communication and player management, the way officials improve, and the role of the sport bodies in improvement. Four salient themes emerged in conceptualizations of effective officiating communication and player management: personal qualities of the official, 1-way-communication direction giving and impression management, situation monitoring (interpreting player and context), and skilled interaction (adapting communication appropriately for context). The findings highlight a mismatch between (a) interpretive and interactive communication skills perceived to be most important and challenging and (b) the training that is currently provided to officials. There was general commonality in practice and training issues across sport codes. The article makes theoretical contributions to the study of sport-official communication and practical recommendations for improving approaches to training skilled communication and player management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, a case occurred in which the parents of the player committed suicide due to biased judging by the referee in the selection of a representative taekwondo athlete in Seoul. With this opportunity, the KOC implemented a permanent referee system to establish a fair judging culture. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the problems of the KOC's permanent referee system and draw up policy measures to improve them. This study was based on prior studies related to the subject matter and data such as documents and reports of standing judges of the KOC. This permanent referee system gives us the following policy implications. First, judging activities, educational activities, and research activities of permanent referees are managed reliably, and have a positive effect on fair judgment culture. Second, athletes, parents, leaders, association officials and general judges are highly satisfied with the operation of the permanent referee system. However, some permanent referees in the sport have raised questions about the evaluation method that does not take into account the specificity. Thus, in order for the permanent referee system to be expanded and operated in a more advanced manner, an agreement must be reached to improve the evaluation method and operation of the permanent referee system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate on the use of performance-enhancing substances or methods to improve refereeing is underdeveloped in the sport philosophical literature. This contrast with the attention scholars have devoted to the use of such substances and methods for athletic purposes. However, when considered from the perspective of fairness, this differential treatment is problematic. Since one of the main concerns with performance-enhancing drugs is their detrimental effect on fairness, the use of performance-enhancing drugs and methods to improve refereeing, given their positive effects on fairness, should have more relevance in the literature. If anti-doping advocates aim to protect and promote fairness in sport, they should consider the possibility of using performance-enhancing drugs or methods to improve refereeing. In this article, we make an argument for this possibility and critically discuss some possible objections. We conclude that referees, under certain conditions, ought to use doping substances or methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set up its headquarters in Lausanne, in 1915, it could not have imagined the impact its decision would have on the administration of world sport. Three-quarters of Olympic sport's world governing bodies have now followed the IOC's lead and based themselves in Switzerland, thereby making the country the hub of global sport administration. The process that gave rise to this situation can be divided into seven main stages. It was driven by a number of key figures, including IOC and international sport federation presidents and general secretaries, and facilitated by the attractive legal, economic, and socio-political environment sport organizations find in Switzerland. This process is on-going and continues to influence the world sports market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public and cultural diplomacy are tools for states to enhance their soft power in international affairs. Sports diplomacy is becoming an increasingly important arena for states to enhance their image among foreign publics and increase their country’s visibility via the attractiveness of their cultural asset. This article explores Thailand’s cultural diplomacy by the support given by the Thai state in order to make Muay Thai (Thai boxing) an official Olympic sport. The role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Muay Thai athletes will be examined to find how the Thai state is attempting to increase its soft power by cultural sport diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: While sleep research in athletes is extensive, no research has investigated sleep in sports officials during a competitive season. This study explored the (a) self-reported quantity and quality of sleep obtained by sports officials according to the time of competition (day or evening) and (b) impact of reduced sleep on perceived decision-making ability. Design: Sports officials (n = 371) from various sporting codes completed an online questionnaire that evaluated self-reported sleep quantity and quality on habitual nights, before competition, and after competition, as well as perceived decision-making constructs. Results: With sleep restriction defined as less than 7 h of sleep, mixed-effects logistic regression revealed that the estimated probability of reporting reduced sleep quantity increased (p< .05) on habitual nights (0.58), before competition (0.48), and after competition (0.56). The estimated probability of reporting poor sleep quality was 0.01--0.04 across all nights. When considering time of competition (day or evening), reduced sleep quantity was experienced after evening competition (odds ratio [OR] = 3.33, p < .05), while poorer sleep quality (p< .05) was experienced following day (OR = 2.1) and evening (OR = 12.46) competition compared to habitual nights. Furthermore, the impact of reduced sleep on perceived decision-making constructs was negative, with the estimated probability of reporting impaired perceived decision-making between 0.13 and 0.21. Conclusion: Overall, sports officials are vulnerable to reduced quantity and quality of sleep before and after competition, with impaired perceived decision-making ability following nights of less than average sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Physical Culture / Fizicka Kultura is the property of University of Belgrade - Faculty of Sport & Physical Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Physical Culture / Fizicka Kultura is the property of University of Belgrade - Faculty of Sport & Physical Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The influence of player gender on referees' decision making was experimentally investigated. In Experiment 1, including 145 male handball referees, we investigated (a) the influence of referees' level of expertise on their decisional biases against women and (b) the referees' gender stereotypes. Results revealed that biases against women were powerful regardless of the referees' level of expertise and that male referees' stereotype toward female players tends to be negative. In Experiment 2, including 115 sport science students, we examined the influence of the participants' gender, motivation to control bias, and time constraints on gender bias. Results indicated that participants' gender had no impact on gender bias and that participants were able to reduce this bias in conditions in which they were motivated to control the bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the effects of several matches per day on running performance and cardiovascular stress in referees during a national Rugby Sevens championship. Methods: Seven referees, who refereed 3 matches/ day, were monitored by GPS during 21 matches. Results: Referees' movement patterns were relatively stable from the 1st to the 2nd match, although a substantial decrease was observed in the 2nd match for maximal and average sprint distance. A substantial decrease in the number of sprints, maximal speed, walking, distance covered at medium intensity, total and >14 km/h distance covered per minute was observed in the 3rd match in comparison with the 2nd. Compared with the 1st match, in the 3rd game referees showed a substantial decrease in maximal and average sprint distance, total walking at medium intensity, distance covered >14 km/h, and high-intensity running distance. Referees exhibited a substantial decrease in average heart rate (HR), percentage of time at >70%HRmax, and percentage of time at >90%HRmax in the 2nd match compared with the 1st. Referees' HR responses were relatively stable from the 2nd to the 3rd match except for the HR zones of 71-80%HRmax and 81-90%HRmax and performance-efficiency index (Effindex). Substantial differences were observed in the 3rd match compared with the 1st in average HR, 81-90%HRmax, >90%HRmax, and Effindex. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of reduced overall running performance and pronounced reduction in high-intensity running performance during the last match in Rugby Sevens referees refereeing 3 matches in the same day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referees are key sport personnel who have important responsibilities both on- and off- the field. Organized competition would not survive without referees, yet little is known about what cause referees to discontinue in the role. This research examines the experiences of former referees so that managers may better understand strategies that might encourage more referees to be retained. Fifteen previous basketball referees were interviewed about their refereeing experience. Ten themes emerged that were related to the sport development stages of referee recruitment, referee retention, and referee advancement. The results indicate that issues experienced during the retention phase (Problematic Social Interaction, Training/Mentoring, and Lack of Referee Community) and then at the advancing stage (Lack of Administrator Consideration, Administrator Decision Making, and Sport Policies) are linked to eventual departure from the role. Interestingly, off-court factors were reported as more influential in the decision to leave. Managerial strategies and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop and assess the validity of the Referee Training Activity Questionnaire (RTAQ), a systematic process was employed: 1) item generation; 2) assessments of content and face validity; and 3) assessments of criterion validity. In stage 1, items were generated following semi-structured interviews with an expert panel (n = 8). Following content analyses, the RTAQ was developed and comprised 3 primary sections (12 sub-sections) assessing: 1) attributes perceived to underpin soccer officiating performance; 2) general training information; and 3) specific training practices. In stage 2, the preliminary RTAQ was assessed for content and face validity by a sample of experts (n = 6). Based upon the content validity index (CVI), content validity was confirmed for 8 sub-sections (CVI ≥ 0.78) with 5 sub-sections being deemed invalid (CVI < 0.78). Various amendments were carried out in accordance with participant feedback. In stage 3, the RTAQ was completed by a cohort of officials (n = 25) who subsequently recorded a detailed training diary. Negligible mean biases, wide 95% LOA, and significant Pearson correlations were observed between the RTAQ and training diaries for most training activities, suggesting the RTAQ holds promise as a useful and effective alternative of acquiring insight into the training practices of soccer officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video-based training is a commonly used method to develop decision-making in athletes and officials. This method typically uses match broadcast footage, yet technological advancements have made 360° Virtual Reality (360°VR) a possible effective tool to investigate. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of both 360°VR and match broadcast footage on improving decision-making. Amateur Australian football umpires (N= 32) participated in a randomised control trial. Participants completed a 5-week training intervention in either a 360°VR, match broadcast or control group. Decision-making was assessed at pre-training, 1-week post-training and 4-week retention points using reliable and valid 360°VR and match broadcast decision-making tests. Participants completed a short questionnaire detailing their perceptions of psychological fidelity, enjoyment, relevance, concentration and effort for each video mode. The 360°VR performed significantly better (p < 0.05) than the control group in the 360°VR retention test. No groups statistically improved over the intervention. Remaining pairwise comparisons for this test and the match broadcast test were not significantly different. 360°VR was rated significantly higher (p < 0.05) than match broadcast footage for psychological fidelity, enjoyment and relevance. 360°VR appears to be a beneficial training tool compared to a control, with stronger engagement from the participants than previously used match broadcast footage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the activity profiles of Australian football (AF) field umpires during training and competition, and subsequently assess the specificity to competition of locomotor training sessions. Microtechnology incorporating a 5-Hz (interpolated to 15 Hz) global positioning system sensor tracked the movements of 24 field umpires during matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and fitness and skill-based training sessions before competition. Paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests determined whether significant differences existed between single training session and competition paired samples, with Cohen's d effect size and percent differences describing the magnitude of the training-competition differences. Absolute measures of total (d = 5.4; percent difference = 85.8%) and high-speed distance (>14.4 km⋅h-1) (1.0; 36.9%), as well as accelerations (3.3; 106.3%) and decelerations (3.2; 107.5%) were significantly greater during competition compared with training (p < 0.001). When standardized for time, high-speed distance (1.4; 52.0%), sprint distance (>23.0 km⋅h-1) (0.9; 121.5%), sprint efforts (1.0; 107.4%), and high acceleration (1.1; 114.3%) and deceleration (0.6; 66.7%) events (≥3 m⋅s-2) were greater during training (p < 0.001). No difference between training and competition was observed for relative distance. A single training session did not match the volume of work during competition, due primarily to large differences in duration. By contrast, training sessions were higher in intensity, likely to compensate for the shorter duration of training. Further research is required to determine whether the total weekly training load is sufficient to maintain and develop the competition-specific fitness of AF field umpires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sports- and recreation-related concussions are a common injury among children. Sports officials (SOs) and athletic trainers (ATs) are integral to setting the stage for safe play and managing concussions when they occur, and significant numbers of both groups have completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HEADS UP online concussion training course. However, the utility of the course for these audiences has not been assessed. We hypothesized that sports officials' and athletic trainers' concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions will improve from pre- and post-test after completing CDC's HEADS UP online concussion training course. Method: Respondents' concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions were assessed both before and after taking the training course. Differences between pre- and post-test scores were calculated based on the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test Z-score or McNemar's test. Effect sizes were interpreted. Results: The SOs and ATs who participated in the HEADS UP online training had a high level of concussion knowledge before taking the course: 90% or more of respondents could identify the correct response for at least seven of the 13 knowledge questions in the pre-test. Still, the course was effective at improving the respondents' knowledge about return-to-play protocols and concussion reporting. Further, SOs and ATs demonstrated improvement in their concussion-related attitudes and behavioral intentions between the pre- and post-test. Conclusion: SOs' and ATs' concussion knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions improved immediately following completion of the CDC HEADS UP online training. Future research could also focus on the long-term retention of this type of training. Practical Applications: This study provides insight into how to better focus concussion-related educational programs to fit SOs' and ATs' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although sports officials are essential in the adjudication of rules during competitions, research into officiating populations is preliminary. This review explores existing research on the effects of sleep loss on decision-making in athlete populations, to gain relevant insight into sports officials and the growing decision- making demands of their role. Specifically, cognitive factors that influence decision-making are identified, and the potential relationship between sleep/wake behaviours and decision-making in sports officials were examined. Particular focus was granted to sleep, specifically sleep restriction in athlete populations, and the hypothesized relationship between sleep/wake behaviours and decision-making in sports officials. Impaired sleep duration and quality has been shown to impair cognitive performance. In the context of sport, impairments to sleep can negatively impact motivation, physical strength, reaction time, and decision-making, all of which are imperative to the role of the sports official. Despite numerous studies demonstrating that sleep loss reduces cognitive performance in athletes, this review revealed that similar research in sports officials has surprisingly yet to be conducted. Since sports officials require a high level of cognitive and physical skills to make correct decisions, an inquiry into the influence of sleep on cognitive performance may encourage research that facilitates improved performance training methods for decision-making in officials. Such findings are important to maintain the standard of officiating and allow for the development of guidelines and strategies to manage sleep and optimize decision-making across various sporting codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the roots of football corruption in Israel in the first decades after independence. A socio-historical analysis of documents, correspondence, and newspaper items reveals the key role played by sports officials in corruption in the football industry. More broadly, the article shows that the historical context and a political model of commitment to political centres in which sports in Israel in general and Israeli football in particular operated constituted fertile ground for unorthodox conduct and practices that undermined the integrity of football matches. These findings challenge various theories that argue that corruption in sports has universal features that are independent of specific historical, social, cultural circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of National Collegiate Athletic Association Power-5 Conference athletic departments perform institutional work to maintain a shared institutional logic. However, within Power-5 athletic departments there are also subcultures (e.g., subunits) that perform institutional work in conflict with espoused institutional ceremonial facades. Within this research context, this study examined official visit itineraries from a sample of Southeastern Conference (SEC) athletic departments as institutional work products that reflect a negotiated institutional terrain within which athletic department sub-units make decisions regarding the amount of time dedicated to social, athletic, and academic activities. The current study reports the findings from an examination of (n = 76) SEC official visit itineraries across (n = 21) sports. Overall, findings revealed official visit itineraries emphasized social and athletic activities, while minimizing or ignoring academic activities. Male sports - particularly male revenue sports - dedicated significantly less time to academic activities. Not surprisingly, profit sport official visits involved significantly more social and athletic activities than both revenue sports and non-revenue sports. These findings support the need for additional research across Power-5 conferences to determine whether the differences found within SEC athletic departments exist across the institutional field of Power-5 college sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the ever-accelerating world of sports, decisions are playing a more critical role. The coaches' decisions determine the outcome of the match. The study aimed to review what factors determine the decisions of sports officials in different sports. Today, many former players choose to stay in the sport and continue their activities as coaches. Nonetheless, there is no unified system for determining the experience of coaches. Various factors influence sports officials in their decisions. These can be both external and internal factors. Take the First heuristic leads to more consistent and better decisions. In terms of coaches and referees, the most studied and examined sport is football. Research in other sports appears in minimal numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]