Examining the Self-Efficacy Levels of Tennis Officials

Referees are considered the third most important part of competitive sports after players and coaches. Despite this importance, it has yet to receive the attention it deserves in the literature. Psychological, sociological, and physiological factors may affect the performance of referees. The aim of the study is to examine the self-efficacy levels of tennis officials on selected dimensions. This is a descriptive study that reveals the self-efficacy levels of tennis officials. The research participants comprised 43 female (35%) and 80 male (65%) officials working in international tennis tournaments in 2022 and 2023. "Personal Information Form" which includes demographic information of the officials, and the "Self-efficacy Scale" developed by Myers et al. (2012) are the data collection tools for the study. For the data analysis of paired groups, a t-test was used. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc test were employed for more than two groups. In accordance with the analysis result, no statistically significant difference was found in the self-efficacy levels of the officials based on gender, age, and position in the tournament. It was seen that the mean scores of international officials in the sub-dimensions of game knowledge and communication significantly exceeded those of the national officials. Additionally, it was noted that the scores of the officials in these sub-dimensions improved as the number of years they worked increased. The increase in the time spent in officiating provides an increase in the self-efficacy level of the official.