Stress and Anxiety Among Elite Volleyball Referees While Officiating

Abstract

Effective decision making and communication are essential skills for sports officials, who frequently report experiencing considerable stress across various sports. This study evaluated the impact of a stress management program on elite volleyball referees. The intervention aimed to reduce stress and anxiety while enhancing coping strategies. Thirty-eight referees (24 males, 14 females) participated in a randomized intervention guided by two experienced applied sport psychologists. Stress and physiological measures were assessed before and after officiating. Anxiety and officiating-related stress were evaluated using the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and an adapted version of the Basketball Officials Source of Stress Survey (BOSSS-d), respectively. Cardiac responses, including heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), were monitored during games. The program’s effectiveness was assessed using the Inventory of Quality Sport Psychological Support (QS17). Although the pre-and post-inter-vention comparisons did not reveal significant changes in anxiety, reported sources of officiating-related stress, or cardiac responses, findings from the QS17 indicated potential benefits of the stress management program for elite volleyball referees, high-lighting avenues for sport psychological support and interventions. Future research, particularly longitudinal studies, is needed to further explore referees’ stress experiences during officiating.