سمیه اسماعیل نیا گنجی

The purpose of this study was to investigate the situation of football refereeing in Iran using the SOAR framework. The method of the present study was descriptive-analytical with an applied nature. The SOAR analytical technique was used to collect information from interviews and form focus groups, formulate a development strategy and explain the strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and measurable results. The study's statistical population included all national and international football referees in the country, and the sample was purposefully selected (n=151). The research instrument was based on an exploratory study and rewriting of basics, interviews, and similar studies by the researcher, whose content validity was confirmed by experts, and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha (α=0.89). The results showed that the existence of many interested in football refereeing, the great interest of Iranian youth in football refereeing, the establishment of national and international refereeing courses, and the emergence of Iranian referees in the first place in Asia, respectively the most critical priorities in terms of strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results. According to the findings, to improve refereeing at the global level, it is necessary to formulate a strategic plan based on the brand-based model that can align all the potentials in the country with its overall refereeing goal.