Thomas Webb

“He’s taken a dive”: Cultural comparisons of elite referee responses to reduced player behaviour in association football

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the cultural similarities and differences between elite referees concerning their preparation and performance in dealing with reduced player behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the data. The 37 participants from England, Spain and Italy were selected through the use of purposive sampling, and all were working in the field of refereeing as current elite-level referees, ex-elite-level referees, referee assessors, referee coaches, or managers and administrators from bodies that manage and train referees. Inductive content analysis was employed to generate themes from the raw data. Findings – Referees have identified particular issues related specifically to player behaviour and also identified specific traits pertaining to players from certain countries. Furthermore, results demonstrate that referees have begun to alter their preparation and performance due to the pressure they perceive exists within a...

The Emergence of Training and Assessment for Referees in Association Football: Moving from the Side-lines

The referee is an essential part of the codified form of Association Football that we know today. Nevertheless, this has not always been the case; whilst a referee, in some form, has been a requirement since codification in order for football matches to occur, referees have not always been central in the thought process of rule makers and those developing the game. This essay explores the evolution of the referee within Association Football and, more specifically, the training, support and assessment practices that referees have received since the codification of Association Football in 1863. Therefore, this essay focuses on debates and input from governing bodies, such as the Football Association, FIFA and the Referees Associations specifically related to referees and their training, support and assessment as the association code of football continued to evolve.

Elite refereeing structures in England:a perfect model or a challenging invention?

The structure employed in England for referees and elite referees is something which has evolved as the game of Association Football has developed over time. This referee promotion, support and management system has changed more rapidly since the inauguration of the Premier League and latterly since the introduction of ‘full-time’ or ‘professional’ referees. The change in the promotion and support for elite referees has necessitated changes to that management structure at the elite level in particular. This article has utilized historical research to analyse the changes to these structures alongside semi-structured interviews as a means of analysing this evolving network for elite referees. Findings indicate that support for the changes which have occurred in elite refereeing regarding the establishment of ‘full-time’ referees are opposed, with alternating views also encompassing the current structure employed for managing elite referees in England and the pathways utilized for referee promotion.

Leading elite association football referees: challenges in the cross-cultural organization of a geographically dispersed group

This study examines the organization of elite Association Football referees in the domestic, European and international game. Specifically, the cross-cultural working practices, training, preparation and performance of these elite referees are explored. A total of 42 semi-structured interviews were conducted with elite referees and ex-referees as well as individuals involved in leadership and training worldwide to explore the leadership of a geographically dispersed workforce. Results highlighted some positive aspects of training and leadership, but indicated that effective leadership, evolution and innovation are required in order to keep pace with globalized, technological developments in Association Football. The findings can be utilized by leaders in order to understand further the challenges faced in the organization of elite sports people and assist in the construction of appropriate strategies towards a more standardized approach to leadership within refereeing, Association Football and professional sport.

'Knight of the Whistle':W. P. Harper and the impact of the media on an Association Football referee

Abstract Media interest in the association code of football is an accepted part of the modern form of the game. The impact of this increased attention from the media can be traced both through an understanding of the developing media/sport relationship during the 1920s and 1930s and specific examples of this burgeoning relationship through the career of W.P. Harper, a prominent referee, who recorded and maintained some of the press coverage he received during his career. This paper explores the embryonic impact of the media on referees, utilizing W.P. Harper as an example, charting incidents during his career and the associated media coverage that these high profile examples received. The consideration afforded to the early role of the media, and the direct impact on referees, assists in a greater understanding of the development of this relationship and therefore an increased comprehension of the role of the media in Association Football in the game today.

The impact of referee training: reflections on the reduction of home advantage in association football

The effect of increased development and professionalization in elite Association Football referee training and the relationship with reduced home advantage in the English professional leagues were examined. The central aim was to chart the evolution of referee training, and how these developments in referee training have assisted in reducing home advantage. Interviews were conducted with elite and ex-elite referees, as well as those involved in the management, training and administration of elite referees in order to identify more recent adaptations to elite referee training and further explain the relationship between training and the reduction in home advantage. Findings indicate training and support is pronounced within elite refereeing has developed appreciably over time, and has contributed significantly to an increase in performance, decision-making correctness and subsequent decline in home advantage.

Referees and the media: a difficult relationship but an unavoidable necessity

The association football/media relationship has evolved since the sport was covered in newspapers, and on radio and television. The impact of the media on association football is undeniable with increased wealth in the game directly attributable to the increasing monetary value of television deals covering the English Premier League. This has, in turn, meant that refereeing decisions are now subject to intensified scrutiny and historically this has been identified as a significant source of pressure for referees. This article has utilized semi-structured interviews with the broadcast media in the UK alongside a notational analysis of 20 live Premier League matches in the 2013–2014 season, in order to analyse the pressure exerted by the media on referees. Findings indicate that the pressure on referees is not as great as previously accepted. Interviews and notational analysis demonstrate a more considered interpretation of the role of the referee today in association football.

Respect? An investigation into the experience of referees in association football:

This article focuses on the response by 2056 football referees across all 51 County Football Associations in England, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey to an online survey conducted from 30 September 2015 to 30 November 2015 regarding their experience of officiating since the implementation of a Respect programme in 2008 by the English Football Association. In assessing the impact of the programme, whilst 54 per cent of referees felt that it has been somewhat successful, there remains a need to implement stronger sanctions and show greater support when dealing with cases of misconduct. Some 60 per cent of referees still experience abuse every couple of games and 19 per cent have experienced some form of physical abuse. With 42 per cent of our sample officiating for less than five years, there is an urgent need for the impact and effectiveness of the programme to be re-evaluated.

The Distribution of Power through a Media Campaign: The Respect Program, Referees, and Abuse in Association Football

ABSTRACT The launch of the Respect Program in 2008 was intended to improve the working environment for referees at all levels of the game. However, eight years since the launch, this article has identified significant issues with the organization and management of the campaign and the verbal and physical abuse to which referees are subjected. Findings are concerned with the experiences of 2056 referees across England, the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey, who responded to an online questionnaire, and given the emergent themes from the data are linked to a figurational framework through location within Norbert Eliass Civilizing Process. Findings identify a disenfranchised workforce, an uneven distribution of power and wider issues connected with the very structure of the game itself within England. The article concludes with specific recommendations designed to review and reinvigorate the Respect Program and as a consequence the working conditions for referees.

Spanish Football and Social Change: Sociological Investigations

duly noted throughout the book to lay claim to a more traditional view of women in sport. Thus, the chapter covers the emergence of NCAA leadership in women’s sports as well as sex texting regulations adopted by the International Olympic Committee. However, readers are cautioned not to skip the epilogue. In this section, the author shares the current barriers surrounding women’s sport through engaging current debate surrounding Title IX, the LPGA, the Women’s Tennis Association, and the Women’s National Basketball Association. Furthermore, the author revisits the biological sex and cultural gender debate critiqued earlier in the text. In conclusion, the intrinsic value of this text to sport scholarship is it provides a descriptive timeline of accomplishments in sport, outlines pivotal challenges faced currently and historically by females in sports, and interlaces historical content to illuminate the readers awareness of the transition of women’s sport from cultivation to modernization. Moreover, the author organizes the text such that the reader is provided with a historical timeline of female’s national and international accomplishments in sport. The book is spectacular read of women in sport history.