Video killed the sports referee: The role of video replay technology in creating anxiety and stress amongst rugby league referees

The advent of technology in the world of sport has given rise to an ever closer eye which gazes over the sports official. Often surrounded by television cameras, and carrying microphones from head to toe, the sports referee of the 21st Century is a closely watched and monitored figure with every decision made scrutinised by coaches, players and spectators present at the ground, as well as the millions of armchair viewers at home. Qualitative measures were used in this research to collect data from referees officiating in the national Rugby League (NRL), Holden Cup, NSW VB Cup and the Intrust Super Cup competition in Australia. Results suggest that referees exhibited signs of anxiety and stress quite frequently over decisions made during matches which may have been considered incorrect upon review. Strategies for supporting referees and/or limiting the scope of review systems may need to be considered to enable adequate support of referees.