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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Basketball Referee Burnout: A Systematic Scoping Review

Theodoros Rachiotis1* ,  Nektarios Stavrou1 ,  Manolis Adamakis1 ,  Konstantinos Karteroliotis1
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1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA), Dafni, Athens 17237, Greece
HPR, e81240033 https://doi.org/10.14440/hpr.0176
Submitted: 19 June 2025 | Revised: 24 September 2025 | Accepted: 25 September 2025 | Published: 28 October 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Background

Burnout is a psychological syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Although extensively studied across various occupational settings, limited attention has been given to its occurrence among basketball referees. Referees hold a dual role as impartial decision-makers and mediators in high-pressure, emotionally charged environments.

Objective

This study aims to map and synthesize the existing literature on the antecedents and consequences of burnout among basketball referees.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. A comprehensive search was performed across seven electronic databases: Scopus, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, ERIC, PROQUEST, SPONET, and ORIA. Eligible studies were published in English or Spanish and specifically examined burnout in basketball referees, with no restrictions on year of publication. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. All included studies employed cross-sectional, quantitative designs and utilized either standardized questionnaires or custom-designed measurement tools.

Conclusion

The findings highlight considerable heterogeneity in the instruments and variables used across studies. Key antecedents of burnout included emotional exhaustion, reduced personal accomplishment, low resilience, interpersonal conflict, and time-related pressure. Reported consequences consistently involved decreased decision-making efficiency, lower motivation and satisfaction, and increased intention to abandon refereeing duties. The review emphasizes the need for further research using longitudinal and mixed-methods designs to enhance understanding and support targeted interventions for burnout prevention in basketball referees.

Keywords
Basketball referees
Burnout
Emotional exhaustion
Scoping review
Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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