Video-based training to improve umpire decision-making

International Journal of …, 2011

Objectives: To develop a valid and reliable video-based decision-making test to examine and monitor the decision-making performance of Australian football umpires. Design: Validation assessments with test re-test reliability. Methods: A video-based decision-making test was developed from a pool of 156 video-based decisionmaking situations. Australian football umpires (n = 56) and players (n = 45) participated in two separate phases of analysis. In phase one, players completed a test re-test reliability assessment with a 100 videoclips. Results indicated 24 clips were a reliable measure of decision-making performance. In phase two, umpires completed a test re-test protocol with 80 clips, 24 of which were the reliable clips identified by the player cohort in phase one. These 24 clips provided a measure of construct validity. Face and content validity were assessed by skill acquisition specialists, expert umpire coaches, and umpires. Results: From each of phase one and two of the reliability assessment, 24 clips were found to have a kappa value greater than 0.30, providing a total of 48 reliable video-clips. Construct validity was supported, with the umpire group performing significantly better than the player group on the 24 clips presented to both groups on each testing occasion. Face and content validity were also demonstrated. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrated the ability prospectively to determine reliability and validity of the video-based decision-making test designed specifically for Australian football umpires. Establishing the validity and reliability of the video clips ensures future investigations can accurately and consistently measure the decision-making performance of Australian football umpires.

Journal of Sports Sciences, 2017

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 decisionmaking 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 ῆ 2 = 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 ῆ 2 = 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.

2016

The requirement for sports officials to make accurate decisions in accordance to both the ‘letter’ and the ‘spirit’ of the law is a challenging task. Due to the complexity and ambiguity inherent in sport decision making, error is inevitable. This study investigated the perceptual and cognitive processes that influence decision making accuracy in netball umpires. Umpires from the Netball South community were recruited to complete two decision making tasks, including a theory-based task, and a video-based task. The theory-based task involved questions pertaining to the contact and obstructions laws, which are typical of the theory tests used in the umpire accreditation process. The video-based task required umpires to watch a series of short video scenarios, while wearing an eye-tracking system. The umpires were asked to determine if a penalty was involved or not, as well as providing a rationale, and the cues they used to make that decision. From the video-based task, information abo...

Decision-making is fundamental to officiating in all sports. It is well established in contemporary research that decision-making skills underpin umpire expertise; however, there is little understanding of the cognitive processes that contribute to in-game decision-making. This research implemented an in-depth case study approach, using qualitative methods, to explore the in-game decision-making process of three Australian football umpires. Concurrent and retrospective verbalisation methods were used to obtain verbal reports of the cognitive processes associated with decision-making. Findings identified three salient themes related to both in-game decision-making processes (i.e., decision evaluation, player intention during game-play) and umpire performance (i.e., knowledge of game-play). These themes contributed to the development of decision-making heuristics for Australian football umpires. This study provides initial evidence of the factors that may contribute to and/or affect in-game decision-making processes; however, additional exploration is necessary to further inform training programs aimed to develop domain-specific decision-making skills and subsequent in-game performance.

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 2019

This research aimed to present a hierarchy of key attributes for Australian football umpires. Elite Australian football umpires ( n = 19) and their coaches ( n = 5) participated in this study. A list of attributes necessary for sports officiating was obtained from past research and adapted specifically for Australian football umpires. Umpires were required to rate each attribute on a scale of 0–9 (least to most importance), and provide a justification of its importance to performance. A modified questionnaire was developed with attributes removed or added, according to the first survey round. This research identified two cognitive attributes: knowing the laws/interpretations and decision-making as the two highest rated attributes, respectively. Psychological attributes composure and concentration were rated highly by the umpires, ranked as number three and five, respectively. The game skill attribute of teamwork was rated as the fourth highest. Fitness was the only physical attribut...

Decision-making is a key component of an umpire’s in-game performance, with each decision potentially having a direct impact on the result of the game. Additionally, umpires have to be physically fit to ensure they keep up with the game-play. While research has identified the decision-making demands and running demands of umpires separately, few have explored the relationship between them. The aim of this investigation was to examine the relationship between physical exertion and decision-making performance of Australian Football umpires at the sub-elite and junior levels. A total of 18 Australian Football umpires (Sub-elite, n = 10; Junior n = 8) performed 10 x 300 metre runs, with each repetition immediately followed by a video-based decision-making test then 1 minute of recovery. A Mann-Whitney U assessment indicated a significant difference between the sub-elite and junior level umpires for decision-making accuracy (U = 13.00, z = -2.43, p = 0.016, r = -0.5). However, there was no significant difference in response time (U = 28.00, z = -1.07, p = 0.315, r = -0.25). The sub-elite umpires completed the running efforts in significantly less time than the junior umpires (p < 0.05). Further, there was no significant correlation between decision-making performance and running times for either skill level (p > 0.05). This suggests decision-making performance may not be affected by physical exertion. Therefore, it may be suggested coaches of football umpires allocate more time to the decision-making development of their umpires instead of focusing largely on the physical fitness side, as is currently the trend.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of in-game physical exertion on decision-making performance of Australian football umpires. Fifteen Australian football umpires (Mage = 36, s = 13.5 years; Mgames umpired = 235.2, s = 151.3) volunteered to participate in the study. During five competitive Australian football pre-season games, measures of in-game physical exertion (blood lactate levels, global positioning system [GPS]) and decision-making performance (video-based test) were obtained. There were no significant correlations between physical exertion in a particular quarter and decision-making performance in either the same quarter or any other quarter. Video-based decision-making performance was effected by time in game χ2(3) = 24.24, P = 0.001, with Quarter 4 performance significantly better than both Quarter 2 and Quarter 3. In-game physical exertion (blood lactate) significantly decreased over the course of the game χ2(3) = 11.58, P = 0.009. Results indicate no definable link between in-game physical exertion and decision-making performance. It is, however, presumed that decision-making performance may be affected by the time or context of the game. Future research is warranted to explore the relationship between physical exertion and decision-making performance to potentially inform Australian football umpire training programmes that replicate in-game physical and decision-making demands.

Journal of Sports Sciences, 2018

Existing methods for developing decision-making skill for Australian football umpires separate the physical and perceptual aspects of their performance. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of incorporating video-based decision-making training during high-intensity interval training sessions, specific for Australian football umpires. 20 amateur Australian football umpires volunteered to participate in a randomised control trial. Participants completed an 8-week training intervention in a conditioning only (CON; n=7), combined video-based training and conditioning (COM; n=7), or separated conditioning and video-based training (SEP; n=6) group. Preliminary and post-testing involved a Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (Yo-YoIR1), and 10x300m run test with an Australian football specific video-based decision-making task. Overall, changes in decision-making accuracy following the intervention were unclear between groups. SEP was possibly beneficial compared to COM in Yo-YoIR1 performance, whereas CON was likely beneficial compared to COM in 10x300m sprint performance. There was no additional benefit to completing video-based training, whether combined with, or separate to physical training, suggesting that this was not an optimal training method. For videobased training to be an effective decision-making tool, detailed feedback should be incorporated into training. It is recommended that longer conditioning and video-based training interventions be implemented to determine training effectiveness.

2006

This study builds on a body of research in sports science that has used video as a means of measuring and training perceptual and decisionmaking skills in a variety of sports. Expert-novice studies using a video occlusion method have shown that expert athletes are able to make better and earlier recognition of an opponent's action, such as a baseball pitch, priming a rapid response. Training using video occlusion targets the time frame, measured in less than one-half second, which is associated with expert perception and decision-making. This is the first such study to measure transfer of video training to game performance. Video training in pitch recognition was associated with significantly better batting averages for college baseball players, as measured by rank correlation. The part-task approach has implications for training expert perceptual decision-making in other sports and in areas beyond sports, such as emergency response, vehicle operation, and use-of-force training.