The Relevance of General Spatial Anticipation Skills for Basketball Referees

Abstract

In recent years, research has shown a positive correlation between sport-specific cognitive abilities and the performance of referees in different sports. However, it is still uncertain how much of the expertise exhibited by referees results from acquired sport-specific skills versus pre-existing general abilities. This study aimed to determine if the relationship between sport-specific abilities and expertise previously observed also applies to general visual abilities. In cooperation with the German basketball federation, basketball referees were recruited for the study, resulting in the final sample of 86 participants who were grouped as elite basketball referees, amateur referees, or novices. These participants completed five tests within the Vienna Test System: time and spatial anticipation, perceptual speed, visual orientation, and spatial working memory. Five separate ANOVAs reported a significant effect of the factor expertise on the performance in spatial anticipation. Post hoc tests revealed that elite referees performed significantly better than amateur referees and novices in spatial anticipation. The superior performance of elite referees in spatial anticipation tasks suggests that their expertise may not be solely limited to acquired skills in basketball but may also be partly attributed to better general spatial anticipatory abilities that might reflect a required skill for refereeing.

Dynamic Visual Acuity, Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex, and Visual Field in National Football League (NFL) Officiating: Physiology and Visualization Engineering for 3D Virtual On-Field Training

“…Another decision-making factor that is critical in officiating is the concept of anticipation [ 50 , 51 ]. The concept of anticipation allows for officials to employ their knowledge structures to become efficient in their visual search to anticipate where to locate critical details in an upcoming event [ 52 , 53 ]. Advanced anticipation and visual search skills have been established in the literature as a critical quality for football officials at the elite level [ 50 , 54 ].…”

“…Bieman et al employed eye-tracking techniques between elite and sub-elite officials that showed differences in eye gaze directions to produce towards earlier anticipation ocular movements [ 50 ]. Schrödter et al also found superior anticipation in elite referees compared to non-elite referees in basketball [ 53 ]. The concept of anticipation in officiating is very closely linked to the neuro-ophthalmic principles discussed above.…”

A comparison of perceptual-cognitive skills in expert and non-expert sports officials: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The reason for the difference in the performance of expert and non-expert sports officials may be related to the anticipation of sports officials. Expert sports officials can rely on spatial or time anticipation to make predictions about the environment and determine behavior (Schrödter et al, 2023). Therefore, it is pivotal to examine how sports officials direct their vision to obtain information from the game, and subsequently make decisions at the perceptual-cognitive level, for a comprehensive assessment of their performance.…”