Refereeing is an essential component of the smooth running of sports competitions. In Senegal, handball has a particular feature: The presence of player-referees and coach-referees in national first and second division championships. This study aims to understand the reasons for this phenomenon, identify its consequences and propose solutions.
A quantitative approach was adopted, based on questionnaires administered to three categories of stakeholders: 12 coaches, 5 referees and 25 players, spread across the regions of Saint-Louis, Thiès and Dakar. Data were collected via Google Forms and analyzed using tables and graphs.
The study reveals that 100% of referees surveyed have combined the functions of player and referee during their career, mainly out of love for the discipline (40%) or to compensate for the lack of staff (40%). Among players, 32% chose to be player-referees. Problems encountered include unpopular refereeing decisions (50%), positional calculations (36%), pressure and pitch invasions. Coaches report that 75% of problems have been reported to the federation, without rigorous application of decisions.
The combination of referee and player or coach functions is a source of conflict in the national championship. To professionalize Senegalese handball, it is essential to train more referees without club affiliation, organize regular training courses and strengthen disciplinary measures.