Uses of 360° video in referees' reflectivity training: Possibilities and limitations

Abstract

IntroductionA pedagogical innovation backed by an online device using 360° video had been devised to train young team sports referees (handball, soccer, rugby) to be more reflective. The objective of this exploratory research was to investigate the ways young student referees use 360° videos in allo-confrontation when carrying out some exercises involving open questions about their viewing experience.MethodsStudent referees' answers were recorded. A grounded analysis of these answers enabled us not only to identify their main focuses when viewing the 360° videos but also to distinguish different cognitive stances.ResultsThe grounded analysis revealed (1) idiographic differences between student referees in the video sequencing, although the participants seemed to share the same reference points, (2) two kinds of focus, one on the unfolding of the game and another one on the referee peer's activity, and (3) different perspectives according to which student referees use video and to initiate a reflection on a differentiation of several types of immersion: empathetic, simulation, exploratory.DiscussionThis study highlighted the conditions under which referees' reflectivity was fostered by the use of 360° video during allo-confrontation. Some perspectives for the evolution of 360° video supports for designing training courses for referees are proposed.

Using Mobile 360° Video as a Tool for Enhancing Sport Referee Performance: A Case Study

“…This case study represents a response to Kittel et al's (2022) recommendation for testing mobile 360°video uses in a sport officiating context (compared with fixed 360°video on a tripod at the side of the pitch). It also extends previous isolated decision-focused aims (Kittel et al, 2019) of 360°video in sport official training and builds on Boyer et al's (2023) recent investigation into mobile 360°video use for reflectivity skills by focusing on sport-specific, performance enhancement benefits.…”

“…Although there has been a surge in the use of point-of-view cameras (POV) in sport officiating training, which allows mobile capture of the referee's performance, it can often provide only a narrow scope of view. It has been suggested that mobile approaches to 360°video capture could provide moving images that give a more unique perspective and better immersion in performance (Boyer et al, 2023;Kittel et al, 2022). Head-or body-mounted mobile approaches to capturing 360°video (where one or more 360°video cameras are affixed on the referee using a chest or head harness) to be used for training and reflective practices have yet to be tested as a potential performance enhancement tool.…”

“…The utility of using first-person viewpoints within video-based reflections on referee performance is supported by the original work of Rix-Lièvre (2010), who used head-mounted referee recordings within interview methods to help them relive their situated subjective perspective. More recently, Boyer et al (2023) identified specific benefits of the mobile 360°video capture approach by harnessing cameras on a soccer referee and later using recorded video sequences in HMDreflective protocols with officials from different sports (soccer, rugby, and handball). Interestingly, they discovered many benefits for officials' reflectivity skills when observing another official's performance through this viewing perspective, particularly an increase in "empathetic immersion" (p. 8) for the viewed soccer official's activity.…”

“…Given the training utility that 360°video is found to provide for improving professional practices in other contexts (e.g., medicine; Bruening et al, 2022) and building on initial evidence for enhancing sport officials' decision-making (Kittel et al, 2021) and reflectivity skills (Boyer et al, 2023), this case study aimed to provide initial groundwork on testing referees' subjective experiences with mobile 360°video formats to identify their potential value to officiating performance enhancement more broadly. This case study approach (Starke, 2005) sought to qualitatively investigate the cognitive activity of rugby union referees and RCs while observing and engaging with mobile 360°video of another referee's performance in their sport.…”

“…Officiating training environments are not "practice rich," with physical conditioning and technical learning activities and discussions often dominating practice hours for sport officials (e.g., football; McEwan et al, 2022). Deliberate practice hours could be enriched with virtual practice activities to develop knowledge and understanding to potentially transform and improve on-field/court officiating practice (Boyer et al, 2023;van Biemen et al, 2023). This case study evaluates the use of immersive video technologies by sport referees and referee coaches (RC) to develop recommendations for new approaches to strengthen off-field referee training practices and develop on-field psychological attributes and performance skills in this essential sport population.…”