Analysis of the key factors influencing the beginning and continuation of football referees’ careers in Europe: Improving recruitment and retention

This study aimed to identify and define key variables that influence referees' decisions to continue or leave their careers in England, Spain and Italy. The research focused on obtaining a practical and working understanding of the careers of referees in Europe across the three countries, to help inform the policies of the federations/associations.

Surveys were designed and administered in England, Spain and Italy with the aim of exploring general patterns, similarities and differences across the three federations/associations. In addition, causations between independent and dependent variables estimated by means of exploratory tests were investigated, with the design and analysis informed by the theoretical framework and relevant publications in the subject area. Highlights and key findings from the research are presented below:

• The survey was completed by a total of 8,728 referees, comprising 1,779 in England, 2,036 in Spain, and 4,913 in Italy, evidencing substantial reach and interest in this project.
• The three countries share important areas of agreement in understanding referees' activity, along with specific circumstances that need to be addressed locally within each country. While the main reasons to start and to continue in refereeing are similar, there is no common pattern for the reasons why referees leave officiating. 'Aggression' and 'Physical condition' are most prevalent in England, 'Disappointment' and 'Personal incompatibility' in Spain, and 'Remuneration' and 'Professional incompatibility' are the primary reasons in Italy.
• The sample from England has a higher average start age (33.15) with a more altruistic profile – more focused on the social aspects of refereeing. Whereas Spain and Italy show a more competitive profile focused on advancement, with both also showing a lower average start age (18.86, 19.06) from their samples.
• The proportion of referees who officiate in each country, but who are born outside the three countries (5%) is lower than the proportion evident in the wider population.
• There is a high percentage of referees who have experienced threats (63%), which influences their decision to continue refereeing. Additionally, 16% mention aggressions as a risk to leave refereeing, and 13% of the referees who are no longer in refereeing mention aggression as the cause of their dropout.
• A significant portion of referees (36%) express an interest in participating in development programs but have not had the opportunity. However, the impact of these programs on referee progression is not clear.
• Half of the referees in the total sample consider reasons for continuing different from the practice of refereeing itself (see Table 13), suggesting potential for establishing alternative career paths or positions within federations/associations.
• Traditional reasons for starting refereeing (Table 15) remain relevant for informing recruitment, although only prior experience as a coach or player show a positive determination on the speed of referee promotion.
• A significant proportion of referees who have left the game feel that their federations/associations could have done more to retain them (59%). Individual career follow-up and monitoring have been identified as areas for improvement for federations/associations when focusing on retaining their referees.
• Women demonstrate a faster rate of promotion when compared to men. The targeted increase in recruiting women referees highlights their ability to integrate effectively into existing pathways and also the success of the pathways that are aimed primarily at women referees.