ABSTRACT
Game or competition management is a very broad concept that has several sub-components. First it includes game organisation – the logistical arrangements of officiating an event from checking the facilities, greeting the athletes and coaches, through to writing match reports. Second there is a decision-making element which extends what we learnt in Chapter 5 and looks at the appropriateness of the decision for the game context, known as contextual judgement. Third is the communication component, which has a big impact upon the athlete’s perceptions of the referee as fair. This chapter will discuss what we know about all three areas, with an emphasis on the official as an interactor, although there will be some elements that also apply to monitors and reactors. Surprisingly, this is an area that has received very little research (though this is expanding). This is due to the fact that the significance of game management in officiating differs between sports. Indeed, a lot of the work draws upon the studies that have been conducted in rugby union where game management is a central task for referees. Sections of this chapter also draw upon our experiences of support work with international referees, while also revealing the links to popular texts and common terminology in sports officiating.
