Evaluating the Performance of the Refereeing Department of the Football Federation from the Perspective of the Referees Using a Balanced Scorecard

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the refereeing department of the Football Federation from the perspective of referees using a balanced scorecard. Methods: The present study was a descriptive survey in terms of practical purpose and type of study, the information of which was collected in the field. The statistical population included all referees and assistant referees of the Iranian Premier League and the First Division, whose number was announced as 152 according to the website of the Refereeing Committee of the Iran Football Federation (N=n). In order to collect data, a performance evaluation questionnaire using the balanced scorecard (Kaplan and Norton, 1996) was used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the research data. SPSS version 23 and LISREL 8/80 software were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that the mean score of performance evaluation and all its components indicate a favorable relative status and there is a significant difference between the mean performance evaluation and its components with the hypothetical average. Also, it was found that there is a significant priority among the performance evaluation components, according to which, the most important priority is related to the "financial" and "internal processes", "growth and learning" and "customer" are in the second to fourth. Finally, it was found that the structural equation model of the research has a significant fit. Conclusion: According to the findings, it can be said that the refereeing department should pay special attention to the financial issues related to referees and always support them in this regard, as well as strengthen other aspects.