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Retention Evidence


Can we better Retain Sport Officials by Asking Them to Do More? The Opportunity of “Stage-appropriate Officiating”

About the Author: Paul Jurbala is the Director of Knowledge of the Sport for Life Society. He also runs his own consulting and management business, community active consulting, where he develops strategic and governance plans, Long-Term Athlete Development plans, and competition reviews for national and provincial sport and multi-sport organizations. Paul holds an M.Sc. degree in Exercise Physiology and a Ph.D. in Sport Management.
Link to article: Can we better Retain Sport Officials by Asking Them to Do More?

 

Why Refs Stay in the Game – Research Paper

  • Enjoyable Affiliation (75%) and Remuneration (14%) were identified as the most important factors to retaining officials.
  • In terms of the most problematic issues, referees most frequently indicated Abuse (42%) and Administrative Issues (20%).
  • Lastly, findings suggest the best ways to recruit and retain officials are to Provide Mentors and Training (32%), Market to Young People (23%), and Increase Pay (19%). 

 

Additional Research:
Evidence consistently shows that retaining experienced sports officials is crucial for the stability, safety, and quality of sporting competitions. As the number of qualified officials is decreasing, retaining them, particularly through mentorship and support, has become a priority for sports organizations. 

 

Evidence on why it is best to retain sports officials:

1. Maintaining Competitive Functionality and Safety 

  • Preventing System Failure: Without competent officials, the delivery of competitive sports becomes dysfunctional, leading to serious issues in game management.
  • Ensuring Safety: Experienced officials are better equipped to handle game situations, including managing player safety and mitigating aggressive behaviors, which reduces the risk of in-game incidents. 

2. Superior Decision-Making and Expertise

  • High Performance: Research indicates that expert officials demonstrate superior decision-making skills, higher accuracy, and fewer fixation errors compared to inexperienced ones.
  • Reduced Bias: Long-term, experienced officials are more skilled at navigating high-stress situations, reducing the impact of crowd noise and emotional pressure on their decisions. 

3. Economic and Organizational Efficiency

  • Reduced Training Costs: Retaining officials is more efficient than constantly recruiting new ones, as it avoids the high cost of training and mentoring new personnel.
  • High Attrition Rates: There is evidence that 45-50% of referees and linesmen leave in their first or second year. Keeping them past this initial phase is essential for long-term sustainability. 

4. Sustaining Organizational Culture and Morale

  • Building Community: Retention is closely linked to the sense of belonging within the officiating community.
  • Mentorship Pool: Retaining experienced officials ensures there is a pool of mentors to guide new, younger officials, improving the quality of the next generation of referees.

 

Retention Evidence (Document) - DOWNLOAD

Retention Statistics (Graph) - DOWNLOAD