Home  News Latest Referees affected by colours worn by competitors
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Referees affected by colours worn by competitors |
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Friday, 11 July 2008 |
 New research has found that referees could be affected by the colour worn by competitors.
Scientists at the University of Munster in Germany investigated this by showing tae kwon do referees videos of sparring rounds between fighters wearing blue and red protective gear respectively, reports newscientist.com.
After judging each clip, the same bouts were shown again with the colour of the protective gear "digitally reversed".
It was found that 13 per cent more points were given to the red competitor, even when the "performances were exactly the same".
Robert Barton, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Durham, told the website: "This is a neat experiment. It reinforces the fact that colour influences the outcome of sporting contests."
Another thing that has been found to affect a referee is the crowd.
Professor Ellis Cashmore, author of Sport and Exercise Psychology, told the BBC that football referees are commonly lenient to players from a team whose supporters have voiced their anger at a previous decision.
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