Referees play a central role in every sport. Particularly at national level, referees must meet ever higher demands due to increasing professionalisation. While cognitive and conditional aspects have already been investigated intensively, personality traits of handball referees have so far only received little attention. In addition to a profound understanding of the game and knowledge of the rules, however, it is precisely the demands on referees’ personalities that are becoming increasingly important. Individual differences in personality are related to job performance in sports, especially with regard to coping with pressure and stress. Thus, personality is considered an essential component of the performance profile of referees and is required in the context of efficient game management. In this study, the personality profiles of male handball referees at expert level (N = 163) were examined for the first time, using the German version of the Big Five Inventory 2 (BFI-2). Standard values of the German general population from a population survey were used for comparison. Referees scored higher values in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness and a lower value in negative emotionality. The results of this cross-sectional study provide initial insights into the personality of this group of referees and thus lay the foundation for further research. A study with referees from different performance levels or cultural backgrounds could provide information on whether the results of this study only apply to German handball referees at expert level or are valid for all handball referees.

Referees play a central role in competitive sport. Particularly in amateur sport, referees contribute significantly to making participation in sport possible for the masses. However, considering that every referee’s career starts at the grassroots level, it is very surprising that there has been no research on the personality traits of amateur referees so far. The current state of research indicates that personality is an essential component of the requirement profile of referees. Personality has been associated with job performance, particularly with regard to resilience and coping with pressure. Personality also affects effective game management in terms of influencing actions in the game in a preventative and proactive manner. This study, therefore, examines the personality profile of amateur handball referees (n = 582) for the first time using the German version of the Big Five Inventory 2 (BFI-2). Current data from German handball referees at the expert level and the German general population were used to compare and discuss the results. Except for lower scores in the domain of extraversion and the facets of sociability and energy level as well as a higher score in the facet of aesthetic sensitivity, amateur referees did not differ significantly from expert referees. In relation to the general population, the results indicate that handball referees, regardless of performance level, have higher scores in assertiveness, emotional stability, and responsibility. Our findings create awareness of personality traits in handball refereeing and illustrate the applied relevance of personality research, e.g., for coaching or recruitment activities.

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Dieser Beitrag betrachtet eine Mobilitätslandschaft, in der sich Mobilität bereits maßgeblich in Richtung autonomer Mobilitätsangebote und -dienstleistungen entwickelt hat. Der Weg in diese neue Welt der Mobilität ist mit einer Vielzahl an Herausforderungen und Unwägbarkeiten verbunden und wird die aktuell bestehenden Marktstrukturen nachhaltig verändern. Im Rahmen einer qualitativen Interviewstudie wurden 75 Experten aus verschiedenen Branchen und Sektoren der Mobilität dazu befragt, wie sich die Mobilität in einem autonom geprägten Szenario darstellen und wie sich die einzelnen Verkehrsträger entwickeln könnten. Eine Inhaltsanalyse brachte sechs Kernbereiche hervor: (a) Bedürfnisse; (b) Entwicklung; (c) Vorteile/Nutzen; (d) Anforderungen; (e) Umsetzung/Herausforderungen; (f) Regulatorik. Im Zentrum der Betrachtung standen die Verkehrsträger PKW, Zug/Bahn, Flugzeug/ Drohne sowie Rad/Roller, die vor dem Hintergrund verschiedener Siedlungsgeographien (urban, suburban, rural und magistral) differenziert betrachtet wurden. Insgesamt sprechen die Experten der autonomen Mobilität ein hohes Game-Changer- Potenzial zu, das die Art und Weise der Fortbewegung grundlegend verändern wird. Gleichzeitig kann bilanziert werden, dass der genaue Ablauf des Systemwechsels noch völlig unklar ist und autonome Mobilität – auch im Hinblick auf die ökologische Dimension – nicht der alleinige Heilsbringer sein wird.