Soccer Referee Mental Health

Examination of the relationship between basketball referee's mental well-being and emotional regulation levels

“…Despite a detailed literature review, studies have yet to be found that examine the correlation between the Mental Well-Being of the referees and Suppression and Cognitive Reappraisal. However, studies show that referees with high Mental Well-Being have high self-confidence, resist pressure and display high performance [ 12 , 23 ]. In this context, revealing the emotional regulation dimensions that affect Mental Well-Being is necessary for referees' performance studies.…”

“…In addition, it has been found that individuals with high levels of Mental Well-Being have higher levels of creativity and more vital immune systems, establish better connections with others, are more productive at work and often live longer [ 21 ]. For example, Karaçam et al [ 22 ] stated in their study that Mental Well-Being positively affects the quality of a referee's performance; Mellick [ 23 ] stated that referees with high Mental Well-Being levels also think more accurately under pressure and have higher self-confidence and make more accurate decisions. This research shows that Mental Well-Being is an essential individual, environmental and social factor.…”

Why Would You Referee?

“…Finally, the 'Dark clouds' reflective analysis then shows how referees often suffer in silence (Defenbaugh, 2008;Jones, 2006). While stigma and misunderstanding permeates through the sport, making mental health in referees a taboo subject (Mellick, 2020), this vignette then highlights the many mental health challenges associated with refereeing and the need for the development of a forgiving platform to allow referees to speak up. As despite the importance of many referees to the sport, in this short vignette, the first author feels he has no choice but to turn his back on the profession because of the outcomes of this sporting culture.…”