Strategic Interaction in Player-sport Official Encounters

Sport officiating communication studies use the views of officials and focus on ‘one-way’ communication and behavioural factors such as impression management and decision communication. Little is known about player perspectives and ways players differ in their interaction with officials. This study used Goffman's (1959; 1969) dramaturgical sociology as an interpretive frame to understand players’ views of strategic interaction in player-official encounters. Main findings show the emergence of the ‘unwitting’, ‘naïve’ and ‘covering’ moves (Goffman, 1969) in player-official interaction and that players actively attempt to influence officials and their decisions through deliberate and unconscious strategies such as complaining and selective questioning.