If you want to know why a player is being shown a yellow card there is no need to delve into football’s rulebook – just take a look at their height.
Referees are more likely to book players who are taller than them, research suggests.
Academics who discovered the phenomenon say it is a classic case of a Napoleon complex, or ‘short man syndrome’. And it is more likely to occur early in the game as referees attempt to assert their authority.
Researchers analysed data from 2,340 games played in the Bundesliga, the top German league, comparing fouls, cards and the heights of players and referees. Results show players taller than the referee have 9.4 per cent more fouls given against them, and are 7.2 per cent more likely to get a yellow card, compared with situations where match officials and players are at the same eye level.
The bigger the gap in height, the more likely a foul will be given, and the main differences are in the early stages of the match. Players who are shorter than the referee are less likely to get into trouble, with a 12.3 per cent lower risk of being penalised, and a 16.5 per cent lower risk of getting a yellow card. The researchers made allowances for tall players being more likely to be defenders, who commit more fouls.
The findings reinforce a study five years ago in English football which suggested referees under 6ft were 20 per cent more likely to dish out yellows than those who were taller.
Academics behind the study wrote in the Journal of Behavioural and Experimental Economics: ‘Referees resort more to sanctions in situations of physical inferiority, and players tend to be penalised more often in terms of fouls called and yellow cards when they exceed the referee by height.
‘This bias is consistent with the Napoleon complex concept, where shorter individuals show compensatory behaviours for lacking social dominance through height. Our results suggest that sanctions are used as a substitute for authority gained by stature.’
Referees are more likely to book players who are taller than them, research suggests. Pictured: Referee Marco Rodriguez shows 6 foot 7 Peter Crouch a yellow
The findings reinforce a study five years ago in English football which suggested referees under 6ft were 20 per cent more likely to dish out yellows than those who were taller. Pictured: Referee Thomas Bramall shows Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen a yellow card in the Premier League
When a military commander told Napoleon Bonaparte, who was 5ft 6in, that he felt uncomfortable being so much taller than his Emperor, Napoleon allegedly replied: ‘You may be taller, but I am greater.’
It led to the theory that short men compensate for a height disadvantage by being more aggressive and competitive.
The study’s authors, from the University of Hagen in Germany, warn similar ‘small man’ behaviour may be found in other walks of life.
They wrote: ‘The presence of a height bias among highly trained and monitored referees in professional sports suggests that similar biases could be pervasive in other professional settings such as corporate boardrooms, hiring committees, and performance evaluations.
‘Understanding these biases is crucial because they can impact career opportunities and workplace dynamics.’
