Training Accurate and CoherentDecision Making inRugby Union Referees

The purpose of this investigation was to pilot a video-based training program designed to develop referees’ shared mental models. A group of English Rugby Football Union (RFU) national referees, divided into a control group (n = 15) and experimental group (n = 41) made their immediate decisions on pre and posttests of 10 video clips taken from real game referee perspective recordings. Over a six-week period the experimental group studied training tapes consisting of 5 sets of 5 tackles, in each case with an expert providing his interpretation of the correct decision. The lowest ranked referees on the national panel significantly improved their percentage of correct decisions, becoming 17.43% more accurate in their decisions at the posttest. These results suggest that such shared mental model training is an appropriate method for improving referee performance. Referees are responsible for maintaining flow and control (FIBA, 2004) and ensuring fair play both in accordance with the laws and the spirit of the game (iRB, 2003). Their performance is critical. Not only are referees responsible for maintaining a safe environment, but they are also expected to ensure that the game’s result is just. The increasing use of video replay to assist officials at the highest level signifies just one of the many attempts to ensure that referees are accurate in their decisions. Furthermore, refereeing professional sport requires a variety of skills (Anshel, 1995; Mascarenhas, Collins, & Mortimer, 2002a). Expert referees need to be physically fit enough to keep up with play, able to apply an accurate

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