Systematic review of basketball referees’ performances

The importance of umpire during competition makes it essential to identify in detail the referee’s performance. The present study aimed to carry out a bibliographic review that presents an analysis of the factors that influence a referee’s performance, from the physical/physiological, psychological and decisional points of view. The design was centred on a systematic data review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The databases used for the review have been WOS and SCOPUS. The inclusion criteria were: (i) Studies in English and Spanish; (ii) Investigations on the physiological, psychological and technical profile of basketball referees; and (iii) Relevant data on the performance of basketball referees during competition. After the review process, 51 articles were selected, classified into three groups of variables: “Decision-Making” (16), “Psychological Demands” (15) and “Physiological/Physical Demands” (21). The results show the importance and influence of the basketball referee during competition and the need to work on their continuous training according to the requirements of the game. Specifically, the referee must work to improve in three principal aspects: decision-making (knowledge of the rules, their application during the competition, the mechanics of movements or the control of the game in situations of conflict or stress); physical/physiological condition (HR, Distance Covered, Speed, PlayerLoad or METs) and stress situations (referee errors, protests, abuses or game adjusted). All of the above should be related with the experience and competence that all referees should acquire to be able to develop their functions as successfully as possible, using the different tools and methods detailed in the studies analysed to help them to improve their vision and their role in the competition.