{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:34:48Z","timestamp":1785407688082,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":99,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,5]],"date-time":"2025-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759622400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.mdpi.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The perception of football as a male-dominated sport by society, coupled with the socio-cultural and economic barriers faced by women, has constrained their presence in the domain of football and revealed the manifestation of gender norms within the sport. This exclusion further masculinizes sport, negatively affecting social unity and cohesion, and deepening inequality within sport. Within this context, the study seeks to reveal how football fans perceive female and male referees through metaphorical representations. Participants, selected using purposive sampling, are individuals who regularly attend football matches and have experience watching games officiated by female football referees. The research employed a phenomenological approach to analyse metaphors generated by 352 football fans regarding female and male referees. Data were collected online through the Google Forms platform, which was accessible only to the researcher via password-protected access. During the analysis process, metaphors were coded, categorized, and transformed into meaningful interpretative formats. Results indicate that female referees are predominantly described with metaphors associated with sexist objectification, such as \u201cflower\u201d, \u201crose\u201d, and \u201cqueen.\u201d Female referees are represented by social roles and stereotypes metaphors like \u201cmother,\u201d and \u201cgold,\u201d yet they are also confronted with violence and disparaging metaphors such as \u201ctrash\u201d and \u201cchaos.\u201d Conversely, male referees are perceived through metaphors evoking strength, toughness, and authority, including \u201clion\u201d, \u201cstone\u201d, \u201cauthority\u201d, \u201cking\u201d, and \u201cleader.\u201d These metaphorical representations highlight the persistence of gender norms within sport, demonstrating how women\u2019s professional competencies are overshadowed by societal codes. Moreover, they are depicted as figures of power and discipline, reflecting masculinity within the sporting context. Ultimately, the research seeks to raise awareness about gender-based perceptions and foster transformation towards greater gender equality in sport.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs15101359","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,6]],"date-time":"2025-10-06T08:10:51Z","timestamp":1759738251000},"page":"1359","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Field of Gender Through Metaphors: The Dilemma of Female and Male Referees in the Minds of Football Fans"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0898-8474","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sabiha Gizem","family":"Engin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sports Sciences, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat 66100, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"278","DOI":"10.1177\/0261927X10368833","article-title":"Establishing and challenging masculinity: The influence of gendered discourses in organized sport","volume":"29","author":"Adams","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of Language and Social Psychology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"431","DOI":"10.1007\/s10551-007-9358-8","article-title":"The dark side of authority: Antecedents, mechanisms, and outcomes of organizational corruption","volume":"77","author":"Aguilera","year":"2008","journal-title":"Journal of Business Ethics"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Alkio, O. 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