An investigation of the motivation, collaboration and satisfaction levels related to teamwork of Turkish football referees

Abstract

During the past 10 to 15 years refereeing elite football matches has become much more demanding in terms of the physical and mental preparation referees have to undertake. This is because the game is now faster and the players fitter than ever before. So much so that referees have come to rely more and more on the other officials to ensure correct decisions. Thus, they have become more like a team leader rather than the sole arbiter they were for so long; cooperation is now essential for successful football refereeing. This study examines the attitudes of football referees towards teamwork, their levels of motivation and their job satisfaction according to their level of refereeing, age and experience. 285 referees and assistant referees, all of whom referee in professional leagues, took part in this study. From the results it was concluded that younger referees are likely to adopt a more 'managed', solo approach while older referees are more likely to adopt a more 'collaborative' approach. These findings provide a baseline for developing young referees' perception of and attitude towards teamwork and highlight the need for improvement.