Evaluation of intimidating behaviors (mobbing) which football referees are exposed to

In this research, the factors that apply psychological intimidation to the referees who actively take on a task with the Turkish Football Federation and the level of the intimidation behaviors that the referees suffer from, have been examined in terms of some demographic variables. The research population was consisted of total 638 classification referees of the Turkish Football Federation taking on tasks in the professional and amateur leagues. And its sampling was consisted of total 374 referees of different classification (FIFA referees, FIFA assistant referees, top classification referees, assistant top classification referees, classification referees, assistant classification referees, female classification referees), actively taking on tasks in the professional and the amateur leagues of the Turkish Football Federation, who were randomly chosen from the population. A general screening model was used in the study. Mobbing Scale for Football Referees (MSFR) developed by the researcher, was used for the collection of data on the subject. The scale consisted of three sections. In the first section there were 7 items to determine the demographical information of the participating referees, in the second section there were 21 items in order to determine the levels of exposure of the referees to the mobbing behaviors. And in the third section 12 items were asked to determine who generally were those who apply a psychological mobbing to the referees. In the validity and the reliability study of the scale, it was found out that the 21 items consisted of three sub-dimension (attacks on the profession, the sociability and the personality of the individual) and the 12 items consisted of two sub-dimensions (Sports and social environment). The total variance of the scale explaining the attack dimensions (21 items) directed towards the profession, the sociability and the personality of the individual was calculated as 61,32 and the cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient, as 0,92. And the factor loadings were found to be between 0,50 and 0,86. And the total variance (12 items) explaining the sub-dimensions of the sports and the social environment was calculated as 88,7, and the cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient, as 0,97. And the factor loadings were found to be between 0,66 and 0,88. In the assessment of the data in the study: the t-test, the unidirectional variance analysis (F), the results of the Tukey test to find the source of the difference were taken into consideration with a purpose to find the relation between the two independent variables and the significance level p<0,05 was taken to determine whether there was a significant difference between the variables in the questionnaire applied. According to the study findings it was found out that the 374 referees who were volunteer to participate to the study, were generally male (92,2%) and married (58,6%), that their age was between 28 and 37 (71,6%), had an education at the undergraduate level (70,9%), that they have taken on tasks as assistant classification referees (39,3%), that they have been taking on tasks between 9-12 years (34,8%). Additionally, it was found out that they have been practicing another profession (79,9%) outside the refereeing. It was identified that the 184 referees (49,2%) out of 374 participated referees, were exposed to various mobbing behaviors of the lower medium level (x=2,28). And it was concluded that the individual of sub-dimension of the scale perceived a medium level (x=2,72) mobbing from the attacks directed towards their profession. However, in the study it was concluded that these behaviors originated from the sports environment; the fans, the players, the football commentators from the media, and the football coaches and the referees were exposed to medium and lower medium level mobbing behaviors due to these factors. Moreover, it was found out that the management (MHK), though at a lower level, has been applying mobbing behaviors against the referees. Therefore it can be said that this situation may cause the referees not to be able to prepare themselves for the football matches they will conduct and consequently they can make irreversible mistakes during the matches that they would be unable to take the load of, and to cause disruption in terms of correctly conducting the match against this mobbing sense they perceived.