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Payback Calls: A Starting Point for Measuring Basketball Referee Bias and Impact on Team Performance

2009; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 9; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/16184740903331853

1746-031X

Ryan M. Rodenberg, Choong Hoon Lim,

Sports, Gender, and Society

Abstract Recent scandals in sports have (re-)emphasized the need for targeted monitoring that is legal, reasonable and effective. The National Basketball Association (NBA) provides an ideal environment to measure the effect of individual referees on team performance and non-conclusively test for possible bias by referees against league teams and affiliated individuals. In the course of analyzing 654 games and 77 referees over seven NBA seasons, we find that no NBA referee had a significant adverse effect on team performance or exhibited bias against the Dallas Mavericks when considering all games (regular season and playoffs). However, when analyzing only the 80 playoff games involving the team, we find one example of an NBA referee having a significantly adverse effect on team performance. Retribution theory is used to explain the possibility of such a prima facie finding. Nevertheless, given our use of non-conclusive indirect detection methods, such a finding merely gives rise to a rebuttable presumption. Notes 1. NBA Commissioner David Stern upon the release of the Pedowitz Report on October 2, 2008 (NBA Communications Group, Citation2008). 2. Mark Cuban became majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks in January of 2000. 3. See equations (Equation1)–(Equation3) previously stated. 4. Given the collective nature and macro-level analytical focus of this paper, Table 3 lists individual referees by non-identifying number, not name. 5. Like Table 3, Table 4 lists individual referees by non-identifying number, not name. 6. In AP (2007), Stern stated: “There is nothing as important as the integrity of our game and the covenant we have with our fans. In order to preserve their trust, we will make every effort to ensure that our processes and procedures are the best they can be”.