Comparison of Salary Status and Facilities Paid to Iranian Premier League Football Referees and Selected Countries of the World

The purpose of the present study was to compare the salary, facilities, and benefits paid to referees in the Iranian Premier League and selected countries around the world based on the Brady model. The research was qualitative with a comparative approach. Ten countries were purposively selected from all continents and geographically located, and were considered as the matching location based on their national standing and higher professional league level. Data obtained through content analysis of collected documents, as well as interviews via email and WhatsApp with experts in the target countries, were collected, categorized, and interpreted using George Brady's four-stage model. The research results showed that Iran pays the lowest and Spain the highest wages to their referees. Referees of all countries are covered by accident insurance. All countries (except Iran, Brazil and Morocco) pay monthly salaries for their full-time referees. The countries of Brazil, England and America consider different salaries for referees according to the levels of refereeing and also the level of experience of referees. The highest level of payment is related to America. The only Italian Serie A league where all referees and assistant referees are full-time. In general, Iran's referees in various sectors (such as salary, welfare support) do not have suitable conditions compared to other countries, and this issue can harm the growth process of refereeing. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the successful experience of those countries in order to overcome the prevailing problems and move towards professionalization in refereeing.

کلیدواژه ها:

comparative study ، Salary ، Financial and welfare support ، professional leagues ، Football Referees ، Brady Model