This book offers an evidence-based guide to the development, management, and retention of sports officials. Drawing on research at all levels of sport, from grassroots to professional, this book focuses on best practices for sports officials and for anybody involved in the management or training of sports officials.

This book is divided into three parts. The first takes a close look at who sports officials are, their motivations, and the formal and informal organizational relationships that define an official’s position in sport. The second examines the factors that can keep an official engaged in their sport, from building healthy cultures and good physical preparation to mentoring and mental health. The final part looks at the development of officials to elite level, including effective communication, improving decision-making, interpreting rules and laws, and career pathways. With case studies, real-life examples, and the voices of practicing officials included throughout this book, it introduces core concepts and best practices applicable across sports and different national and international contexts.

This is an essential reference for all sports officials and for practitioners and policymakers working in sports organizations at all levels.