The precision and the efficacy of referee’s evaluations are based on the development of specific skills in modulating and regulating the attentional focus. This research, based on Nideffer’s model, tries to investigate the relation between the level of individual skill and the specific features of attentional and interpersonal style. The aim of this work is to help soccer referee trainers in their teaching task and to give future referees the cognitive tools to better analyse their behaviour and, in general, to judge the performance. The results show that the soccer referee’s attentional style is mainly broad external, with a high level of overload by external information. We have noticed different attentional styles for different types of referees (main referee and linesman), but also within the same categories. Our results show that the attentional style, for a few specific aspects, becomes a good predictor of evaluation performance. In particular, the direction of the attentional focus correlates with the position of the referee in the field, the prevention and the discipline scale, and the general performance. The focus width associated to general performance scale is probably the best predictor of the referee skill in choosing the best location in the field during a game. There are some differences among referee-types: the linesmen are less distracted by internal and external information, they make fewer mistakes caused by focus reduced flexibility, and they feel more able to integrate a high number of external stimuli effectively.

Soccer referee’s attentional style and performance.

GALMONTE, Alessandra;
2007-01-01

Abstract

The precision and the efficacy of referee’s evaluations are based on the development of specific skills in modulating and regulating the attentional focus. This research, based on Nideffer’s model, tries to investigate the relation between the level of individual skill and the specific features of attentional and interpersonal style. The aim of this work is to help soccer referee trainers in their teaching task and to give future referees the cognitive tools to better analyse their behaviour and, in general, to judge the performance. The results show that the soccer referee’s attentional style is mainly broad external, with a high level of overload by external information. We have noticed different attentional styles for different types of referees (main referee and linesman), but also within the same categories. Our results show that the attentional style, for a few specific aspects, becomes a good predictor of evaluation performance. In particular, the direction of the attentional focus correlates with the position of the referee in the field, the prevention and the discipline scale, and the general performance. The focus width associated to general performance scale is probably the best predictor of the referee skill in choosing the best location in the field during a game. There are some differences among referee-types: the linesmen are less distracted by internal and external information, they make fewer mistakes caused by focus reduced flexibility, and they feel more able to integrate a high number of external stimuli effectively.
2007
9789608992306
attentional style; sport; performance
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/311195
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