Referees’ Calls May Get Lost in Their Translation

  • July 16, 2010
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  • Blog

According to a report published in the journal PLoS One, the inherent bias in referees is perceptual.  The study found that soccer experts whose languages read left to right call more fouls when the action moves in the opposite direction (or right to left).  According to Alexander Kranjec, a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania and the study’s lead author, “We are used to moving our eyes left to right so we have a preference for viewing events left to right.”  And because of this preference, events moving from right to left are perceived as atypical and referees might be more likely to call fouls.

Kranjec and his colleagues conducted the study on varsity soccer players at the University of Pennsylvania.  The players assessed foul calls on images of plays and were then asked to do the same on mirror images of the same plays.  On average, the players called about three more fouls when going from right to left.

To read this complete article, please visit Referees’ Calls May Get Lost in Their Translation.

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