Referees, Match Officials and Abuse

Tom Webb is Course Leader for the MSc Sports Management and Senior Lecturer in Sports Management and Development at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He is also founder and coordinator of the Referee and Match Official Research Network. Mike Rayner is Associate Head (Education) at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Mike is a Fellow of The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Sports Management and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an Academic Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Jamie Cleland is Senior Lecturer in Sport and Management at the University of South Australia. His research explores a range of social issues in sport. Jimmy O’Gorman is Senior Lecturer in Sports Development, Management and Coaching in the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University, UK.

1. Introducing and defining match official abuse. 2. Examining abuse: The importance of governing bodies in sport. 3. Organisational culture, non-reporting of abuse and discontinuation: Implications for match officials and administrators. 4. Facilitating a positive environment: The role of resilience, mental fortitude and conflict management when supporting match officials. 5. The importance of policy and the need for mental health interventions and support. 6. The experience of match officials outside England. 7. Evidencing good practice and tackling abuse.