The Silent Dominance and its Relationship to the Accuracy of Refereeing Decisions among First Division Football Referees

Abstract

The importance of studying the relationship between silent dominance and the accuracy of refereeing decisions among first division football referees is highlighted, as this relationship is expected to reveal the extent of the influence of unseen factors on the quality of refereeing performance. This contributes to developing and raising the level of refereeing to meet the requirements of modern competition and the evolving needs of the game. Accordingly, the research problem is defined as questioning the nature of the relationship between silent dominance and the accuracy of refereeing decisions among first division football referees, and whether this undeclared dominance represents an influential factor in the quality of refereeing performance and raising the level of local refereeing. To identify the nature of the relationship between silent dominance and the refereeing performance of first division football referees, the researcher used the descriptive method, which is suitable for the nature of the research, its field procedures, and solving its problem. The researcher defined the research population as first division football referees in the southern governorates of Iraq, for the (2025-2026) season. The study included 80 referees, selected using a comprehensive sampling method. The most important conclusion was that controlling silent pressure is a crucial factor in improving the accuracy of refereeing decisions. Referees who can manage indirect pressures are better able to make correct and quick decisions. The most important recommendation is to develop specialized training programs that focus on how to deal with crowd pressure and the competitive context, thereby enhancing referees' ability to confront silent pressure.