Racial Bias in National Football League Officiating
Racial bias in sport is a prevalent research topic. Much of the previous research regarding bias among referees in sport focused on sports such as baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer. Professional American football is unique because race is more clearly defined when compared to these other spor...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sociology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fsoc.2020.00048/full |
| _version_ | 1818326098241388544 |
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| author | Dawson G. Eiserloh Jeremy J. Foreman Elizabeth C. Heintz |
| author_facet | Dawson G. Eiserloh Jeremy J. Foreman Elizabeth C. Heintz |
| author_sort | Dawson G. Eiserloh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Racial bias in sport is a prevalent research topic. Much of the previous research regarding bias among referees in sport focused on sports such as baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer. Professional American football is unique because race is more clearly defined when compared to these other sports. Additionally, by examining holding penalties, which are known to be more subjective and called predominately by a single official on the field (i.e., the umpire), racial bias in officiating can be more efficiently analyzed in professional American football. The purpose of this study is to examine potential racial bias regarding holding penalties in the National Football League (NFL). Three years of data from the 2013 to 2014 through 2015 to 2016 NFL seasons were used, including the races of officials and players involved in holding penalties. Results showed no evidence of racial bias in the calling of holding penalties by White officials. However, Black umpires were found to call more holding penalties when led by a White referee. Additionally, Black players were more likely to have holding penalties called on them earlier in the game by all officials. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T11:54:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cf0d2738d0d455f97dd92495e488b49 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-7775 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T11:54:58Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sociology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cf0d2738d0d455f97dd92495e488b492022-12-21T23:47:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sociology2297-77752020-07-01510.3389/fsoc.2020.00048539597Racial Bias in National Football League OfficiatingDawson G. EiserlohJeremy J. ForemanElizabeth C. HeintzRacial bias in sport is a prevalent research topic. Much of the previous research regarding bias among referees in sport focused on sports such as baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer. Professional American football is unique because race is more clearly defined when compared to these other sports. Additionally, by examining holding penalties, which are known to be more subjective and called predominately by a single official on the field (i.e., the umpire), racial bias in officiating can be more efficiently analyzed in professional American football. The purpose of this study is to examine potential racial bias regarding holding penalties in the National Football League (NFL). Three years of data from the 2013 to 2014 through 2015 to 2016 NFL seasons were used, including the races of officials and players involved in holding penalties. Results showed no evidence of racial bias in the calling of holding penalties by White officials. However, Black umpires were found to call more holding penalties when led by a White referee. Additionally, Black players were more likely to have holding penalties called on them earlier in the game by all officials.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fsoc.2020.00048/fullAfrican-AmericandiscriminationNFLofficialpenaltiesrace |
| spellingShingle | Dawson G. Eiserloh Jeremy J. Foreman Elizabeth C. Heintz Racial Bias in National Football League Officiating Frontiers in Sociology African-American discrimination NFL official penalties race |
| title | Racial Bias in National Football League Officiating |
| title_full | Racial Bias in National Football League Officiating |
| title_fullStr | Racial Bias in National Football League Officiating |
| title_full_unstemmed | Racial Bias in National Football League Officiating |
| title_short | Racial Bias in National Football League Officiating |
| title_sort | racial bias in national football league officiating |
| topic | African-American discrimination NFL official penalties race |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fsoc.2020.00048/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dawsongeiserloh racialbiasinnationalfootballleagueofficiating AT jeremyjforeman racialbiasinnationalfootballleagueofficiating AT elizabethcheintz racialbiasinnationalfootballleagueofficiating |