Sports officials (umpires, referees, judges) play a vital role in every sport, and sports governing bodies, fans, and players now expect officials to maintain higher professional standards than ever before. In this ground-breaking book, a team of leading international sport scientists and top level officials have come together to examine, for the first time, the science and practice of officiating in sport, helping us to better understand the skills, techniques and physical requirements of successful refereeing.The book covers every key component of the official's role, including:Training and career development Fitness and physical preparation Visual processingJudgement and decision-making Communication and game management Psychological demands and skills Using technology Performance evaluation Researching and studying officials in sport Top-level officials or officiating managers contribute in the 'Official's Call' sections, reflecting on their experiences in real in-game situations across a wide range of international sports, and on how a better understanding of science and technique can help improve professional practice. No other book has attempted to combine leading edge contemporary sport science with the realities of match officiating in this way, and therefore this book is vital reading for any advanced student of sport science, sport coaching or sport development, or any practising official or sports administrator looking to raise their professional standards.

1. Introduction 2. Development of Officials Official's Call (Janie Frampton- former National Referee Manager, the Football Association (FA), England) 3. Physical Demands Official's Call (Bill Mildenhall, Referee Development Officer, Basketball Victoria and Victorian Basketball Referees Association, Australia) 4. Visual Perception 5. Judgment and Decision Making Official's Call (Ralf Brand, referee and member of Referee's Advisory Board, Basketball Bundesliga (BEKO BBL), Germany) 6. Interaction and Game Management Official's Call (Wayne Barnes, International Rugby Board (IRB) referee, England) 7. Psychological Demands and Skills Official's Call (Marika Humphreys-Baranova, International Skating Union (ISU) judge, ISU trainer and examiner of Technical Specialists, England; Chris White, Rugby Football Union (RFU) Referee Academy Manager, England) 8. Technology Official's Call (Holger Albrecht, Federation International de Gymnastique (FIG) technical committee member for men's artistic gymnastics, Germany; Graham Hughes, International Rugby Board (IRB) Television Match Official (TMO), England) 9. Selection, Training, and Evaluation of Performance Official's Call (Jacqui Jashari, International Netball Umpire; Umpire coach and mentor, Australia; Tony Parker, International Squash Official, England; Tom Lopes, Executive Director of International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO), USA) 10. Conclusion