title: Beyond the technical: The role of emotion regulation in lacrosse officiating.
abstract: Emotions can influence the performance of referees leading to a need to examine emotions experienced, and regulation strategies used by referees. The present study assessed emotions and emotion regulation strategies of 19 referees officiating at an Under-19 Lacrosse World Championship. Using survey methods and focus group interviews, officials responded to five questions: (a) What emotions were experienced? (b) What events elicited emotions? (c) How did lacrosse officials manage their own emotional states prior to, throughout, and following a competitive game? (d) How did officials manage others' emotional states? (e) What were the perceived consequences of these strategies? Results indicate that emotions fluctuated throughout the tournament as referees encountered intrapersonal and interpersonal emotion-eliciting events. These fluctuations are suggested to come from a progressively diminished capacity for emotion regulation. Participants used emotion regulation strategies that could be classified into Gross' (1999) families of emotion regulation strategies, often relying on suppression, emotion contagion, and preventative refereeing. Collectively, the results offer new insights into referee emotion regulation at international events.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing , University of Wolverhampton , Walsall , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Friesen
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Sport , University of Wolverhampton , Walsall , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tracey J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Devonport
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing , University of Wolverhampton , Walsall , United Kingdom.|b Institute of Sport , University of Wolverhampton , Walsall , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011361:Professional Competence; D015865:Racquet Sports / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Emotion contagion; decision-making; preventative refereeing; psychological skills; umpires