Feeling the pressure: emotion-related feelings mediate the relationship between self-efficacy and stress in soccer referees

Purpose – Effective refereeing is widely influenced by officials’ self-efficacy, which helps control emotions and stress management. The present study investigated how the dimensions of referees’ self-efficacy influenced the perception of sources of stress and how this effect was mediated by emotion-related feelings. Methods – A final sample of 209 referees was investigated, consisting of 191 men (age range: 18-46 years, M = 25.3, SD = 7.1; experience range: 1-30 years, M = 6.9, SD = 6.2) and 18 women (age range: 18-33 years, M = 23.9, SD = 3.8; experience range: 1-10 years, M = 4.6, SD = 3.2). Participants completed the Referee Self-Efficacy Scale, the Sport Performance Psychological Inventory, and the Sports Officials Stress Survey. Results – Results indicated that referee’s self-efficacy dimensions (i.e., game knowledge, decision making, pressure, and communication), self confidence, and emotional arousal control were negatively correlated with sources of stress (i.e., fear of aggression, fear of making mistakes, and tension during the game), while worry and concentration disruption were positively correlated with sources of stress. Mediation analysis showed significant indirect effects from all self-efficacy components to tension via emotional arousal control. Furthermore, significant indirect effects were found from all self-efficacy variables to aggression, mistakes, and tension via worry. Years of officiating experience played a role in these relationships, with more experience being associated with reduced stress. Conclusion – These results underscore the central role of self-efficacy and emotional arousal control in reducing negative outcomes, providing implications for potential interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being and performance among sport referees.