Staying in the Game

Abstract

Basketball officials play a critical role in their sport; however, many officials decide not to continue in the role for a variety of reasons. It is important to understand the mentality of officials concerning their safety on and off the basketball court and the impact the game assignments might have on their careers. The purpose of this study was two-fold; 1) to assess game officials' safety concerns as a factor of retention, and 2) to determine the impact on game assignments of retention and career advancement. Most athletes, coaches, officials, and related workers get their training from having played in the sport at some level (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). Current research shows that officials want safety standards to be created and enforced, and that objective criteria should be used for their evaluation and advancement. These could include attendance at study sessions and chapter or conference meetings, participation in local, regional, or national camps or clinics, adherence to standards for physical fitness, minimum scores on rules tests, and game performance expectations (Sabaini, 2003). While the concept of measurable goals for officials is not new, existing research often overlooks the impact of goal attainment on the officials themselves. In addition, in research conducted for the purpose of this article, officials perceive a lack of transparency in the game assignment process as an inherent problem in the current system.