Seen but not heard: missing the mark in conceptualizing high performance officiating

Abstract

Officials are undeniably key figures in high performance sport, providing some order and regulation within complex and generally unpredictable sport contests. Despite their importance and centrality, a largely incomplete picture exists of their pressurized and complex work. Specifically, the limited existing research has tended to be framed by the ‘seen but not heard’ view of officialdom whereby they are considered to be rather benign rule-appliers. The result has been a somewhat valuable, yet largely narrow and constrained research agenda that often ‘misses the mark’ by emphasising largely decontextualized accounts of fitness, decision-making, and stress. The purpose of this deliberatively polemic paper is to stimulate debate about the important concepts in high-performance officiating, including how they learn their craft. In doing so, we propose that officiating is a complex and fundamentally human activity that demands authentic investigations considering the vital reciprocity between the official, their environment, and their dynamic role.