ABSTRACTSport officials are an under-researched subpopulation in the sport psychology literature. Particularly little is known about psychological factors that may predict officiating performance. Feltz and Guillen (2011) suggested that self-efficacy may influence performance in the refereeing context, as it does in many others. Myers, Feltz, Guillen, and Dithurbide (2012) indicated that referee self-efficacy is composed of four dimensions: Game Knowledge, Decision-Making, Pressure, and Communication. The current study sought to evaluate the relationship of these various dimensions to performance in several aspects of officiating. A secondary purpose was to evaluate proposed sources of referee efficacy as predictors of referee efficacy dimensions and performance. Volleyball referees (N = 76) who were candidates for USA Volleyball (USAV) National or Junior National badges completed a survey which measured experience as an official, experience playing and coaching volleyball, referee self-efficacy, and sources of referee self-efficacy. Following administration of the survey, participants completed the USAV referee performance evaluation protocol. No relationship was found between self-efficacy and performance in high-level volleyball officials. Little was found relating referees’ level of experience and performance in their evaluations, and few connections were identified between previously established sources of referee confidence and dimensions of referee self-efficacy. These null findings may be due to lack of variance in ability and confidence on the part of the referees, or produced by an evaluation system which is designed to teach candidates, and pass most of them, rather than explicitly evaluate their performance.
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