Emotional Management in Refereeing: A Proposal from Psychological Intervention

Laura Gil-Caselles; María José Fernández Singleton; Verónica Gómez-Espejo; Luis Miguel Ramos-Pastrana

doi:10.6063/motricidade.44656

Emotional Management in Refereeing: A Proposal from Psychological Intervention

Authors

Laura Gil-Caselles HUMSE Research Group, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7097-4693
María José Fernández Singleton Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Spain
Verónica Gómez-Espejo Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Spain
Luis Miguel Ramos-Pastrana Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Spain

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.44656

Keywords:

Sport psychology, Referees, Satisfaction, psychological intervention, perceived usefulness

Abstract

The role of referees has received limited attention within sport psychology interventions, despite the emotional and decision-making demands inherent to officiating. This study presents the implementation and evaluation of an emotional regulation workshop for football referees, with the aim of analysing perceived effectiveness and participant satisfaction. The sample consisted of 38 referees (M = 19.8 years, SD = 2.91) from the Football Federation of the Region of Murcia, officiating across different competitive categories. The intervention comprised three sessions focused on regulating psychological variables, incorporating practical strategies for application before, during, and after matches. Evaluation was conducted using an ad hoc questionnaire, including quantitative items (Likert scale from 0 to 10) and qualitative responses. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction across all sessions and highlighted the usefulness of the emotional regulation techniques. Most participants indicated that the skills acquired could be applied to personal and academic contexts. The main limitations were the absence of a pre-test measure and the time interval between sessions. Overall, the results suggest that this type of intervention may contribute significantly to improving psychological well-being and self-efficacy among referees.

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Published

2026-07-01

How to Cite

Gil-Caselles, L., Singleton, M. J. F., Gómez-Espejo, V., & Ramos-Pastrana, L. M. (2026). Emotional Management in Refereeing: A Proposal from Psychological Intervention . Motricidade, 22, e44656. https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.44656

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Issue

Vol. 22 (2026): Conference of the Portuguese Society of Sports Psychology 2024 and 2025: Uniting Generations, Defining New Paths, Sustaining the Future of Sports Psychology in Portugal

Section

Original Article

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