Study shows shorter referees call more fouls

[HokiePaul]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I totally agree with you. I think if you are going to use height, you better look at other factors or classifications.

Also so what if they call more fouls, what does that have to do with calling a better game?

Peace

Keep in mind that this study was not done with the purpose of evaluating officials. Read the abstract from the study. The NBA simply provides one mechanism/set of data for testing a theory about bias in the workplace (any workplace).

If the purpose of the study was to help officials become more consistent, then they certainly would have looked at other factors/classifications.


Abstract

Given the vast number of observations in a transparent environment, the interaction between players and referees in the National Basketball Association (NBA) provides a real-world laboratory that allows for observation and testing of implicit height-based biases (the so-called “Napoleon Complex”). Controlling for a plethora of referee-specific characteristics and including 4,463 regular season games from 2008 to 2012, we find that (i) more personal fouls are called when a relatively shorter three-person officiating crew is working and (ii) no more or fewer fouls are called when games involve relatively taller players. Such biases are probably not large enough to impact game outcomes but could affect gambling markets. Our findings support the conclusion that relatively shorter NBA referees officiate basketball games differently than their taller peers. The analysis spotlights an oft-suggested but rarely studied bias in a workplace where employees are heavily scrutinized and monitored.