This online course is for sports officials (referees & umpires) operating at the performance level within their sport.

Overview

This course focuses on enhancing your own performance or the performance of sports officials that you are responsible for coaching, developing or administrating.

It will use the latest research to give you expert knowledge of how to manage difficult players and will draw upon training evidence from the military, fire-fighting and NASA space control to help you make effective decisions under pressure. You will be led by a world-expert in the development of sports officials who co-authored the first text on the Science and Practice of Sports Officiating together with internationally acclaimed staff in talent development and coaching.

The application deadlines for this programme are as follows: January intake - 31 October; May intake - 28 February and September intake - 30 June

Course details

This programme, the first of its kind, runs part-time over 3 years and has a strong emphasis upon self-reflection, so you will profile your own performance with a series of research investigations to identify areas for personal development. Your progress will be guided by enhancing your understanding of contemporary research together with peer support groups from other practicing officials to critically reflect upon your performance.

Exploring contemporary issues in leadership, sports performance management systems and organisational culture you will not only examine your own leadership capabilities in relation to your personal context (eg the match day officiating team, the development of a group of performance officials), but also critically evaluate them in relation to effective organisational, team and player management.

The programme has been running since 2019 and the flexible nature of the programme has allowed students to investigate topics of their own interest including (i) emotional intelligence, (ii) effects of angle of view upon decisions, (iii) developing game understanding (iv) mental health, (v) experiences of females, and (vi) decision biases in officiating in bio-bubbles.

The programme is delivered part-time with a group webinar at the start of each trimester and multiple online checkpoints through the year. Online interactive activities and online video materials will be used to augment the experience. This delivery style is designed to optimise the development of a supportive community of learning, whilst also accommodating your individual professional demands.

Careers

Our recent cohort of students included officials operating in these environments:

Bundesliga (football referee)

Women’s Premiership Rugby (Referee)

World Rugby Women’s 7 Series (Performance Reviewer)

Match Official’s Development Officer (England Rugby)

Euroleague Basketball (Management & Referee)

International Netball Federation (Management)

Women’s Rugby World Cup (referees)

Gallagher Premiership Rugby

FIBA Basketball (referee)

British Basketball League (referee)

FIFA (referee)