The Referee as an Educator: Assessment of the Quality of Referee–Players Interactions in Competitive Youth Handball
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Purpose
3. Materials and Methods
3.1. Participants
3.2. Measures
3.3. Developing R-PIASS Dimensions
3.3.1. Positive Climate
3.3.2. Responsiveness
3.3.3. Behavior Management
3.3.4. Proficiency
3.3.5. Instructing
3.3.6. Communicating
4. Procedures
5. Analytic Strategy
6. Results
7. Discussion
7.1. Hypotheses Verification
7.2. Positive Climate
7.3. Responsivness
7.4. Behavior Management and Proficiency
7.5. Instructing and Communicating
8. Conclusions
- Referees’ training programs should include information about the emotional, social, and cognitive needs of children at various stages of their development;
- Referees should be made aware that they are an important link in the process of education through sport and that, together with the coach and parents of young athletes, they should build a caring climate on the handball court so that the sport can be a source of positive experiences for children, especially before the age of 13 (during this period, most children leave sports);
- Referees should be trained in building a positive climate, which consists in creating emotional ties with players (physical proximity, social conversation), expressed in an enthusiastic attitude and joy of contacts (smiling, engagement, positive affect reaction, positive comments, respectful and inclusive language, using players first names, listening to players). In addition, referees must be taught to actively monitor players’ emotional, cognitive, social, and health needs, as well as to respond to the players’ needs and solve problems.
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Positive Climate | Responsiveness | Behavior Management |
Means the emotional bond between the referee and players, expressing mutual interest, enthusiastic attitudes and joy of contacts | Reflects the way the referee responds to the emotional, cognitive, social, and health needs of players | Concerns methods and techniques used by the referee to prevent and redirect negative behavior of players |
Proficiency | Instructing | Communicating |
Is the ability to organize the game smoothly and without interruptions and prepare the referee for refereeing | Refers to the way the referee provides knowledge, interprets the rules of the game, and teaches values in sport | Is a way of verbal and non-verbal communication of decisions by the referee |
Positive Climate | |||
Indicators | Poor (1,2) | Average (3,4,5) | Good (6,7) |
Emotional connection (physical proximity, social conversation, the players seek support from the referee) | Clear physical and emotional distance between the referee and players is observed. In addition to the messages related to the game, the referee does not talk to the players. | It can be observed that the referee and the players show mutual interest, but this only applies to one team or individual players. A physical and emotional distance between the referee and the players is sometimes observed. | The referee shows great interest in all players. Physical contact and emotional closeness are observed. Their relationship is warm and supportive. The referee sometimes talks to the players about problems unrelated to the game. |
Enthusiasm (smiling, engagement, positive affective reaction) | The referee does not show an enthusiastic attitude towards the players and his or her duties. They do not smile at all and do not reciprocate the positive emotions of the players. | The referee is enthusiastic and smiles, but there are moments when he or she does not do this or not to all players. The referee sometimes reciprocates the positive emotions of the players. | The referee shows enthusiastic attitudes and often smiles. He or she always reciprocates the positive emotions of the players. |
Positive comments (verbal and non-verbal comments) | The referee does not give positive comments to the players at all. | The referee sometimes gives positive comments to the players or does it often, but they are apparently insincere. The referee gives positive comments to only one team or selected players. | The referee often gives positive comments to all players and they are apparently sincere and unforced. |
Mutual respect (respectful and inclusive language, using players first names, calm voice listening to players) | The referee and players rarely, if ever, demonstrate respect for one another. Competitors do not recognize the authority of the referee, often questioning his or her decision. | The referee and players sometimes demonstrate respect for one another; however, these interactions are not consistently observed across time or players and it happens that the players question the referee’s authority. | The referee and players consistently demonstrate respect for one another. The referee has the authority and his/her decisions are not called into question. |
Responsiveness | |||
Indicators | Poor (1,2) | Average (3,4,5) | Good (6,7) |
Active monitoring of players’ emotional, cognitive, social, and health needs | The referee does not monitor the players to meet their needs and does not know when the players need additional support or help. | The referee sometimes monitors the players to meet their needs and notices when they need extra support or help, but there are moments when this does not happen. | The referee constantly monitors the players to meet their needs and always notices when they need additional support or help. |
Responding to the players’ needs (fast meeting of the players’ needs) | The referee does not respond or neglects the players’ needs. | The referee sometimes responds to the players’ needs, or this reaction does not apply to everyone. | The referee always responds to the educational, social, emotional, and health needs of the players. |
Solving problems | The referee cannot solve a problem that goes on and on. | The referee attempts to solve the problem, but he or she does not always do it effectively. | The referee manages to solve the problems that arise, and they do not last long. |
Behavior Management | |||
Indicators | Poor (1,2) | Average (3,4,5) | Good (6,7) |
Expressing expectations | The referee does not present (before the match) his or her expectations regarding the players’ behavior during the game. | The referee presents his or her expectations regarding the player behavior before the match, but not understandably or does not enforce them during the game. | The referee presents clearly and understandably his or her expectations for players’ behavior before the game and enforces them during the game. |
Using preventative officiating | The referee does not attempt to prevent behavioral problems or does not notice the increasing negative climate. | The referee attempts to prevent behavioral problems on the pitch but does this not always or sometimes ineffectively. | The referee always attempts to prevent negative behavior and his or her actions are effective. |
Redirecting negative behavior | The referee does not respond to the negative behavior of the players and it continues over time. | The referee responds to the negative behavior of the players, but his or her actions are not always effective, and the behavioral problems are extended over time. | The referee responds to the negative behavior of the players on an ongoing basis and his or her actions are effective, and the behavioral problems do not last. |
Proficiency | |||
Indicators | Poor (1,2) | Average (3,4,5) | Good (6,7) |
Continuity and flow of a game | The game is not smooth and there are unnecessary interruptions. | The game seems smooth, but there are sometimes unnecessary interruptions. | The game is smooth and there are no unnecessary interruptions. |
Directing players | The game is not well organized, and the players often do not know what to do. | The game is well organized, but there are situations where players do not know what to do. | The game is well organized, and the players always know what to do. |
Referee preparation (knowledge and skills, referee equipment) | The referee is not prepared to referee the match, does not have the appropriate uniform and equipment, or there are often situations where he or she seeks consultation or browses game rules. | The referee is prepared to referee the match, but there are occasions when he/her consults or looks into the game rules or does not have all the referee’s equipment. | The referee is well prepared to referee the match, has the appropriate uniform and full refereeing equipment. |
Instructing | |||
Indicators | Poor (1,2) | Average (3,4,5) | Good (6,7) |
Communicating the game rules and teaching the value of sport (clear and precise citation of game rules, effective explanation and instruction) | The referee does not instruct players and does not provide knowledge about the game rules and the values of sport. | The referee instructs players and provides knowledge about the game rules and the values of sport, but he or she either does so rarely or in a way that is not understandable for the players. | The referee instructs players and provides knowledge of the rules of the game and the values of the sport clearly and understandably. |
Communicating Decision | |||
Indicators | Poor (1,2) | Average (3,4,5) | Good (6,7) |
One-way communication techniques (decision communication e.g., whistle use and signaling, strong, sharp and visible signals) | The referee is either unclear or indecisive in communicating his or her decisions or does not communicate them at all. | The referee communicates his or her decisions, but not always in a clear, decisive, or visible way. | The referee communicates his or her decisions in a visible, clear, and decisive manner. |
Two Indicators | Three Indicators | Score | |
---|---|---|---|
P, P | P, P | 1 | POOR |
P, A | P, P, A | 2 | |
A, P | P, A, A | 3 | AVERAGE |
A, A | A, A, A | 4 | |
P, A, G | |||
A, G | A, A, G | 5 | |
G, A | A, G, G | 6 | GOOD |
G, G | G, G, G | 7 |
Handball Referees | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domains | Inexperienced (n = 17) | Experienced (n = 8) | Mann–Whitney U Test | |||
Median | Range | Median | Range | Z | p-Value | |
Positive Climate | 3.00 | 12.18 | 3.00 | 14.75 | −0.888 | 0.375 |
Responsiveness | 3.00 | 12.47 | 3.00 | 14.13 | −0.545 | 0.596 |
Behavior Management | 5.00 | 12.85 | 4.50 | 13.31 | −0.148 | 0.882 |
Proficiency | 6.00 | 13.29 | 5.00 | 12.38 | −0.299 | 0.765 |
Instructing | 4.00 | 13.38 | 4.00 | 12.19 | −0.388 | 0.698 |
Communicating | 4.00 | 12.74 | 3.50 | 13.56 | −0.271 | 0.786 |
Results of the Games | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domains | A Close Match (n = 17) | Advantage of One of the Teams (n = 8) | Mann–Whitney U Test | |||
Median | Range | Median | Range | Z | p-Value | |
Positive Climate | 3.00 | 9.00 | 3.00 | 9.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Responsiveness | 3.00 | 10.57 | 3.00 | 7.90 | −1.11 | 0.265 |
Behavior Management | 5.00 | 8.21 | 4.50 | 9.55 | −0.549 | 0.583 |
Proficiency | 6.00 | 9.14 | 5.00 | 8.90 | −0.103 | 0.918 |
Instructing | 4.00 | 7.79 | 4.00 | 9.85 | −0.853 | 0.393 |
Communicating | 4.00 | 9.29 | 3.50 | 8.80 | −0.207 | 0.836 |
Dimension | Mean (SD) | Median | Range |
---|---|---|---|
Positive Climate | 2.8 (1.0) | 3.0 | 1–6 |
Responsiveness | 3.4 (1.2) | 3.0 | 2–6 |
Behavior Management | 4.7 (1.5) | 5.0 | 1–7 |
Proficiency | 5.0 (1.5) | 5.0 | 2–7 |
Instructing | 4.5 (1.6) | 4.0 | 2–7 |
Communicating | 3.9 (1.4) | 4.0 | 2–7 |
Variable | Factor 1 |
---|---|
Positive Climate | 0.573 |
Responsiveness | 0.851 |
Behavior Management | 0.930 |
Proficiency | 0.878 |
Instructing | 0.895 |
Communicating | 0.903 |
Eigenvalue | 4.305 |
Explained variance | 71.753% |
Variable | Factor 1 | Factor 2 |
---|---|---|
Positive Climate | 0.950 | |
Responsiveness | 0.637 | 0.595 |
Behavior Management | 0.903 | |
Proficiency | 0.940 | |
Instructing | 0.919 | |
Communicating | 0.686 | 0.614 |
Eigenvalue | 4.305 | 0.908 |
Explained variance | 71.753% | 15.134% |
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Płoszaj, K.; Firek, W.; Czechowski, M. The Referee as an Educator: Assessment of the Quality of Referee–Players Interactions in Competitive Youth Handball. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3988. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113988
Płoszaj K, Firek W, Czechowski M. The Referee as an Educator: Assessment of the Quality of Referee–Players Interactions in Competitive Youth Handball. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(11):3988. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113988
Chicago/Turabian StylePłoszaj, Katarzyna, Wiesław Firek, and Marcin Czechowski. 2020. "The Referee as an Educator: Assessment of the Quality of Referee–Players Interactions in Competitive Youth Handball" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 11: 3988. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113988