title: Video-based training to improve perceptual-cognitive decision-making performance of Australian football umpires.
abstract: Decision-making is a central component of the in-game performance of Australian football umpires; however, current umpire training focuses largely on physiological development with decision-making skills development conducted via explicit lecture-style meetings with limited practice devoted to making actual decisions. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of a video-based training programme, aimed to provide a greater amount of contextualised visual experiences without explicit instruction, to improve decision-making skills of umpires. Australian football umpires (n = 52) were recruited from metropolitan and regional Division 1 competitions. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group and classified according to previous umpire game experience (i.e., experienced; less experienced). The intervention group completed a 12-week video-based decision-making training programme, with decision-making performance assessed at pre-training, and 1-week retention and 3-week retention periods. The control group did not complete any video-based training. Results indicated a significant Group (intervention; Control) × Test interaction (F(1, 100) = 3.98; P = 0.02, partial ῆ2= 0.074), with follow-up pairwise comparisons indicating significant within-group differences over time for the intervention group. In addition, decision-making performance of the less experienced umpires in the intervention group significantly improved (F(2, 40) = 5.03, P = 0.01, partial ῆ2= 0.201). Thus, video-based training programmes may be a viable adjunct to current training programmes to hasten decision-making development, especially for less experienced umpires.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health , Federation University Australia , Ballarat , Australia.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health , Federation University Australia , Ballarat , Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9417-4359
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mesagno
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living , Victoria University , Melbourne , Australia.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living , Victoria University , Melbourne , Australia.|c College of Sport and Exercise Science , Victoria University , Melbourne , Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spittle
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health , Federation University Australia , Ballarat , Australia.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D003071:Cognition; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods; D010465:Perception; D012916:Soccer; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Cognition; game officials; observation; perception; referees