Abstract
Although sports officials are essential in the adjudication of rules during competitions, research into officiating populations is preliminary. This review explores existing research on the effects of sleep loss on decision-making in athlete populations, to gain relevant insight into sports officials and the growing decision-making demands of their role. Specifically, cognitive factors that influence decision-making are identified, and the potential relationship between sleep/wake behaviours and decision-making in sports officials were examined. Particular focus was granted to sleep, specifically sleep restriction in athlete populations, and the hypothesized relationship between sleep/wake behaviours and decision-making in sports officials. Impaired sleep duration and quality has been shown to impair cognitive performance. In the context of sport, impairments to sleep can negatively impact motivation, physical strength, reaction time, and decision-making, all of which are imperative to the role of the sports official. Despite numerous studies demonstrating that sleep loss reduces cognitive performance in athletes, this review revealed that similar research in sports officials has surprisingly yet to be conducted. Since sports officials require a high level of cognitive and physical skills to make correct decisions, an inquiry into the influence of sleep on cognitive performance may encourage research that facilitates improved performance training methods for decision-making in officials. Such findings are important to maintain the standard of officiating and allow for the development of guidelines and strategies to manage sleep and optimize decision-making across various sporting codes.
Highlights
As the professional and recreational market of sport is under more pressure than ever, the need to enforce rules and regulation in sporting events has paralleled the lucrative shift in athletic competition (Stewart & Smith, 2000)
The sports official is fundamental to the regulation of competition in sport, by administering the rules, which influence overall match results based on their adjudication of play and decision-making
Officials carry an ethical responsibility that preserves the intrinsic value of sport and competition, all under the watchful eye of athletes, coaches, spectators, and the entire audience of a broadcasted competition (Page & Page, 2010; Isidori, Muller, & Kaya, 2012)
Summary
As the professional and recreational market of sport is under more pressure than ever, the need to enforce rules and regulation in sporting events has paralleled the lucrative shift in athletic competition (Stewart & Smith, 2000). Since the adjudication of rules is imperative to the role of sports officials, this review will examine their decision-making, including the underlying cognitive factors involved.
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