Study shows ethnic minority players are not treated unfairly by football referees
An analysis about whether there is a racial element to referees decisions to give a yellow card to football players in the Premiership, has been carried out by staff at the University of Surrey.
Dr Rob Witt, head of the Economics Department, worked with Barry Reilly, of the University of Sussex, on the study called “Disciplinary Sanctions in English Premiership Football: Is There a Racial Dimension?”
The project used data from five recent seasons and exploited an extremely valuable, but hitherto barely used, administrative database held at OPTA Sportsdata in London. These data were used in conjunction with specific information on the characteristics of players.
An analysis of raw data suggested evidence of a racial dimension in the application of sanctions with black and mixed race players receiving, on average, between a quarter and a third fewer yellow cards compared to white players in spite of having a higher foul count.
However, once a variety of characteristics are controlled for including a players’ field position, foul count, time played and club, the empirical analysis revealed no systematic evidence of a bias against black or mixed race players by referees.
Dr Reilly says: “Our study finds no systemic evidence that ethnic minority players in the English premiership are treated unfairly by referees when dispensing yellow card sanctions.
“Although the raw data on yellow cards dispensed actually suggest that referees appear to behave more leniently towards black and mixed race players than white players, the statistical evidence for such a claim is not found to be all that strong.”
The field position of a player is found to be important with defenders and midfield players statistically more likely to incur the wrath of referees than forward players.
The analysis showed there was no bias against black or mixed race players in the eyes of the referees.
But there is a racial dimension to the application of sanctions with black and mixed race players receiving between a quarter and a third fewer yellow cards compared to white players, on average.
The study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found no evidence that ethnic minority players are treated unfairly by referees.
Dr Witt said: “A study of the English Premier League finds no evidence that ethnic minority players are treated unfairly by referees when dispensing yellow cards.
“If anything, at the average, there is evidence that referees appear to behave more leniently towards black and mixed race players than towards white players.”
The analysis revealed a harsher application of the rules by referees over time. On average, the number of yellow cards issued rose statistically between the last season studied (2007/08) and the earliest (2003/04).
The research found the salutary result that a player’s race is not a determinant of a sanction outcome and this reflects positively on the professionalism of referees.
The findings in regard to race differ from that detected in a study by Price and Wolfers (2007) in their study of the National Basketball Association in the US, which is currently the only other paper to our knowledge that has explored the relationship between race and disciplinary sanction outcomes in a professional team sport.
They found that during the 13 seasons from 1991 through 2004, white referees called fouls at a greater rate against black players than against white players.
NCAA Men’s Final Four semifinal and Championship Games in 3-D
Live 3-D Broadcasts Available in up to 100 Cinedigm Certified(TM) Digital Cinemas Nationwide and in Indianapolis at NCAA Bracket Town(TM) and Lucas Oil Stadium
CBS Sports teams up with the NCAA, LG Electronics USA and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. to present for the first-time ever the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four semifinal and national championship games in 3-D. The broadcasts will be available live in up to 100 Cinedigm Certified(TM) Digital Cinemas nationwide. Fans attending the festivities in Indianapolis also can view the games in 3-D on LG’s LCD HDTVs at locations throughout Lucas Oil Stadium and at the NCAA’s interactive fan event, Bracket Town refreshed by Coca-Cola Zero.
The games in 3-D on Saturday, April 3 (6:00-11:00 PM, ET) and Monday, April 5 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET) will be a fully-produced CBS Sports event with CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK announcers Dave Ryan and Steve Lappas calling the action. Together with LG Electronics USA, which is the Official 3-D Sponsor for CBS Sports’ NCAA Tournament broadcasts and Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, Cinedigm is bringing the excitement of the NCAA Men’s Final Four in stunning three-dimensional realism to tens of thousands of NCAA basketball fans in theaters across the land.
“CBS Sports has always been on the forefront of new technology to enhance the viewing experience,” said Ken Aagaard, executive vice president operations and engineering, CBS Sports. “Through our partnership with the NCAA and LG, and the technological innovations of Cinedigm, we are excited to be able to present Men’s Final Four weekend in 3-D offering fans an exciting and different way to view a major sporting event.”
“Bringing the Men’s Final Four to consumers in 3-D is a prime example of how LG strives to deliver something better – superior technology combined with an unparalleled viewing experience – for consumers,” said Peter Reiner, senior vice president, marketing, LG Electronics North America. “As the Official 3-D Sponsor, we are excited to partner with CBS Sports to bring consumers this immersive 3-D viewing experience and tap into the passion of college sports fans throughout the country.”
This unique sponsorship builds upon LG’s leadership in this emerging technology. LG Electronics, which introduced the first 3-D LCD sets in Korea last year, will be introducing this new feature in an extensive line of 3-D-enabled LED HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players in the United Sates beginning this May.
“The theater experience is changing dramatically,” said Bud Mayo, chairman and CEO of Cinedigm. “The Men’s Final Four is a signature event, with millions of fans clamoring to be among the few who get to see it in person. Cinedigm’s experience, having brought the 2009 BCS Championship and the 2009 NBA All-Star Saturday Night events to theaters in live 3-D, has shown us that fans who attend will feel as though they have courtside seats. We’re proud to work with our technology partner SENSIO and with our growing national network of top-quality theaters to help bring fans one step closer to courtside.”
Cinedigm’s robust digital cinema network has unparalleled experience in bringing the best in LIVE 3D entertainment to the widest number of 3-D cinema screens. Audiences at the first-ever live 3-D sports broadcasts last year hailed the revolutionary impact of seeing sports in 3-D, especially when seen in a movie theater. No other cinema network has the technological infrastructure and distribution know-how to enable this kind of large-scale, nationwide, 3-D event in U.S. theaters.
CBS Sports and LG Electronics also are working with NEP and 3-D expertise will be provided by world renowned 3-D innovator, Vince Pace, to deliver the broadcast in 3-D. Pace, has worked on the blockbuster movies Avatar and Titanic.
Cleveland Cavaliers fans set Guinness World Record at Cavs Snuggie Night
A sold-out crowd of Cleveland Cavaliers fans set the Guinness World Record for the “largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets” at the Cavs Snuggie(TM) Night presented by KeyBank at Quicken Loans Arena. The crowd donned custom-made Cavaliers Snuggie(TM) blankets for the first five cozy minutes of the March 5th game versus rivals the Detroit Pistons to set the World Record.
Guinness World Records(R) Adjudicator Danny Girton Jr. was on hand to officially certify the new record in front of fans during the game. Girton Jr. then presented the Cavaliers, KeyBank and Allstar Products Group, the maker of the Snuggie(TM) blanket, with a certificate recognizing the new record was set at 17,758. The fans in attendance received a commemorative magnet certifying their participation at the record-breaking event.
“We would like to thank our fans and congratulate them for their enthusiastic participation to land their place in the Guinness Book of World Records,” said Cavaliers President Len Komoroski. “Partnering with KeyBank and Snuggie(TM) blankets to create an event where our fans were an integral part of the success to give Cleveland the bragging rights of a Guinness World Record made it a community team effort that was all the more fun.”
“After months of planning, it was exciting to see the Cavs fans in their Snuggie(TM) blankets at The Q,” said Lisa Oliver, KeyBank Cleveland District President. “KeyBank was excited to partner up with Cavs and the fans to break this Guinness World Record and be part of something so positive and fun for the city of Cleveland.”
Scott Boilen, president and chief executive officer of Allstar Products Group said, “Cleveland fans are great. It was amazing to see so many participants enjoying the game wearing their Cavs Snuggie(TM) blankets.”
Starting March 6th, a limited number of Cavs Snuggie(TM) blankets are available at Cleveland KeyBank branches with the purchase of a qualified Key Possibilities(R) MasterCard(R) Gift Card. Visit a local northeastern Ohio KeyBank branch or www.cavs.com/snuggie for more details.
For additional information on the Cavs Snuggie(TM) Night presented by KeyBank visit www.cavs.com/snuggie.