[ Être joueur-arbitre ou coach-arbitre dans le handball sénégalais: État des lieux, enjeux et perspectives ]
Ismael El Moctar NDIAYE1, Oumar NIASSE2, and Cheikh Sadibou NDIAYE3
1 CREFS CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN ÉDUCATION, FORMATION ET SPORT, -UFR SEFS- UGB, Senegal
2 CREFS CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN ÉDUCATION, FORMATION ET SPORT, -UFR SEFS- UGB, Senegal
3 CREFS CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN ÉDUCATION, FORMATION ET SPORT, -UFR SEFS- UGB, Senegal
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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.
Author Keywords: refereeing, handball, player-referee, coach-referee, Senegal, professionalization.
Ismael El Moctar NDIAYE1, Oumar NIASSE2, and Cheikh Sadibou NDIAYE3
1 CREFS CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN ÉDUCATION, FORMATION ET SPORT, -UFR SEFS- UGB, Senegal
2 CREFS CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN ÉDUCATION, FORMATION ET SPORT, -UFR SEFS- UGB, Senegal
3 CREFS CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN ÉDUCATION, FORMATION ET SPORT, -UFR SEFS- UGB, Senegal
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
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.
Author Keywords: refereeing, handball, player-referee, coach-referee, Senegal, professionalization.
Abstract: (french)
L’arbitrage constitue une composante essentielle du bon déroulement des compétitions sportives. Au Sénégal, le handball connaît une particularité: La présence de joueurs-arbitres et de coach-arbitres dans les championnats nationaux de première et deuxième division. Cette étude vise à comprendre les raisons de ce phénomène, identifier ses conséquences et proposer des solutions pour y remédier. Une approche quantitative a été adoptée, basée sur l’administration de questionnaires à trois catégories d’acteurs: 12 coachs, 5 arbitres et 25 joueurs, répartis dans les régions de Saint-Louis, Thiès et Dakar. Les données ont été collectées via Google Forms et analysées sous forme de tableaux et de graphiques. L’étude révèle que 100% des arbitres interrogés ont cumulé les fonctions de joueur et d’arbitre au cours de leur parcours, principalement par amour de la discipline (40%) ou pour pallier le manque d’effectif (40%). Parmi les joueurs, 32% ont choisi d’être joueurs-arbitres. Les problèmes rencontrés incluent des décisions arbitrales non appréciées (50%), des calculs de position (36%), des pressions et des envahissements de terrain. Les coachs signalent que 75% des problèmes ont été rapportés à la fédération, sans application rigoureuse des décisions. Le cumul des fonctions d’arbitre et de joueur ou coach constitue une source de conflits dans le championnat national. Pour professionnaliser le handball sénégalais, il est impératif de former davantage d’arbitres sans club, d’organiser des stages réguliers et de renforcer les mesures disciplinaires.
Author Keywords: arbitrage, handball, joueur-arbitre, coach-arbitre, Sénégal, professionnalisation.
