“The Referee Plays to Be Insulted!”: An Exploratory Qualitative Study on the Spanish Football Referees’ Experiences of Aggression, Violence, and Coping

Abstract

Referees are essential participants in the sport of football. They are responsible for enforcing the rules and achieving the necessary impartiality for the matches. Referees are often target of hostile reactions from fans, players, and coaches. However, few studies have focused on these experiences and the strategies they use to manage them. In order to fill this gap, a qualitative interview-based study was developed to explore the experiences of a group of football referees (four males and four females) on aggression, violence, and coping. A thematic analysis was developed combining inductive and deductive processes. Results indicated that the most frequent aggressions experienced were verbal abuse. Most of the aggressions from spectators were of a sexist nature. When aggressions were considered normal by referees, symbolic violence emerged. Racist aggressions were directed to the two Moroccan participants. Problem and emotional-focused coping strategies were identified. The two most common referee responses to coaches’ and players’ verbal abuse were penalties and send-off calls. Smiling and not considering insults as a personal matter were two emotional-focused coping strategies used toward spectator aggressions. Implications for the referees’ job and well-being as well as the quality of football competitions were highlighted to reduce aggressions and violence and to help referees to cope with hostile behaviors.

A Study on Sports Anxiety between State Level and National Level Football Referees in India

“…Since, it is one of the most intricate and dynamic games (within match scenarios) in which all players compete for possession of the ball [19] and referees need to take appropriate positions to conduct the game successfully. A certain level of physical stress is helpful, that prepares us for competition [20][21][22]. But when the physical symptoms of anxiety are too great, they may seriously interfere with your ability to compete [23].…”

Personality profile of amateur team handball referees

“…This includes how they behave and relate to others prior to, during, and after competition, and how they present themselves as a referee. Personality can also have an impact on an individual’s ability to make and execute decisions (Byrne, Silasi-Mansat, & Worthy, 2015 ), to deal with stress (Kaiseler, Polman, & Nicholls, 2012 ), but also to be patient and resilient in the face of aggressive behavior (Devís-Devís, Serrano-Durá, & Molina, 2021 ; Wolfson & Neave, 2007 ). Despite these findings and the question already raised as to which psychological characteristics are required for officiating (Livingston et al., 2017 ), it is surprising that the personality profile of amateur referees has been almost completely neglected in research to date.…”

Motivos de inicio, continuidad e intenciones de abandono en árbitros de fútbol

“…El puesto de los árbitros no resulta, de hecho, muy envidiable. Cuando no son ignorados por la intrascendencia del partido o por su buena actuación, son objeto de críticas y comentarios de desprecio, cuando no agresiones, por parte de deportistas, equipo técnico y fanes, así como de los medios de comunicación (Devís-Devís et al, 2021;Louvet, 2011;Serrano-Durá y Devís-Devís, 2020).…”