Dr Rabiu Muazu Musa holds a Ph.D. degree in Sports Science from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia. He obtained his M.Sc. in Sports Science from UniSZA and his B.Sc. in Physical and Health Education at Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. His research activity focused on the development of multivariate and machine learning models for athletic performance. His research interests include sports performance analysis, health promotion, sport and exercise science, talent identification, test, and measurement as well as machine learning in sports. He obtained several research grants both as principal and co-investigator. He is an active reviewer to many reputable journals and currently serving as an academic editor for PLOSONE as well as the executive guest editor for the Open Sports Science Journal and SN Applied Sciences. He authored many publications in myriad journals, conference proceedings, books as well as chapters in books. He is currently a senior lecturer at the Centre for Fundamental and Continuing Education, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.

Dr Anwar P.P. Abdul Majeed graduated with a first-class honours B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. He obtained an M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from Imperial College London, United Kingdom. He then received his Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Robotics from the Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP). He is currently serving as an associate professor at the School of Robotics, XJTLU. Prior to joining XJTLU, he was a senior lecturer (assistant professor) and was the head of Programme (Bachelor of Manufacturing Engineering Technology (Industrial Automation)) at the Faculty of Manufacturing and Mechatronics Engineering Technology, UMP. He is also currently serving as an adjunct lecturer at UCSI University, Malaysia. Dr Anwar is also a visiting research fellow at EUREKA Robotics Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. Dr Anwar is a chartered engineer, registered with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), UK, a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK, as well as a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). His research interest includes rehabilitation robotics, computational mechanics, applied mechanics, sports engineering, renewable and nuclear energy, sports performance analysis as well as machine learning. He has authored over 60 papers in different journals, conference proceedings as well as books. He serves as a reviewer in a number of prolific journals such as IEEE Access, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, SN Applied Sciences, PeerJ Computer Science, Applied Computing and Informatics amongst others. He has also served as a guest editor for SN Applied Sciences, MDPI, Frontiers as well as an editor for several Springer book series. He is currently serving as an academic editor for PLOS ONE, a review editor for Frontiers in Robotics and AI, and a section editor for Mekatronika (UMP Press). Dr Anwar is also a member of the Young Scientists Network of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM). With regards to learned/civil society activities, he is an active member of the IET Malaysia Local Network as well as acting as a liaison officer for the Imperial College Alumni Association Malaysia.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Razali Abdullah obtained his Bachelor of Physical Education in 1989 from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He obtained his M.Sc. in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, in 1998, and in 2007, he received his Ph.D. in Sports Science from UPM. His research interests include motor control, sports biomechanics, motor performance, and machine learning in sports. He is currently an associate professor at East Coast Environmental Research Institute Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu, Malaysia

Assoc. Prof Dr Garry Kuan is an associate professor of the Exercise and Sports Science Programme,School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and a research fellow at the Brunel University, London, United Kingdom. He completed his Ph.D. in Sport Psychology at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. Presently, Garry is the secretary-general of the Asian-South Pacific Association of Sport Psychology (ASPASP), the secretary-general of the Malaysian Sport Psychology Association (MASPA), the executive board member of the Asian Council of Sports Science (ACESS), and the scientific committee of the World Exercise Medicine. He is the recipient of the 2021 International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP) Developing Scholar Award, the 2021 Ten Outstanding Young Malaysian, the 2021 Asia Outstanding Academician of the year, the 2020 IFPEFSSA International Eminent Educator Award, A-CIPA Young Researcher Award at the 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology, International Scholars Award at the ICSEMIS pre-Olympic conference, and the Atsushi Fujita Research Scholarship at the 6th ASPASP conference. His research interest includes sport psychology, neuroscience, health promotion, test and measurements, and music. During his social time, he plays the first violin professionally and teaches communities to play various musical instruments.

Dr. Mohd Azraai Mohd Razman graduated his first degree from the University of Sheffield, UK, in Mechatronics Engineering. He then obtained his M.Eng. from Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) in Mechatronics Engineering as well. He then completed his Ph.D. at UMP specifically in the application of machine learning in aquaculture. His research interest includes optimisation techniques, control systems, signal processing, instrumentation in aquaculture, sports engineering as well as machine learning. He is currently serving as a guest editor for SN Applied Sciences in a number of topical collections. He has also edited a number of volume in Springer's LNEE and AISC series. He is currently serving as the editor-in-chief for MEKATRONIKA: Journal of Mechatronics and Intelligent Manufacturing under UMP Press.

Highlights the use of data mining and ML techniques in studying the activity, decision-making, and actions

Discusses how these methods can help in enhancing the performance of referees

Includes analaysis from various top-flight European Soccer Leagues to substantiate the findings

Chapter 1

Current Trend of Analysis in High-Performance Sport, and the Recent Updates in Data

Mining and Machine Learning Application in Sports

1.1 An Overview of High-Performance Sport

1.2 Responsibilities and Influence of Referees in Top-Flight Soccer Tournaments

1.3 Recent Updates in Data Mining and Machine Learning Application in Sports

1.4 Mann-Whiney U Test and Kruskal-Wallis Analysis

1.5 Features Extraction Analysis Via Information Gain

1.6 Cluster Analysis

1.6.1 Hierarchical Agglomerative Cluster Analysis (HACA)

1.6.2 Louvain Clustering

1.7 Principal Component Analysis as Data Mining Technique

1.8 Application of Machine Learning Models in the Study

1.9 Datasets for the Study

References

Chapter 2

Pattern Recognition of Misconducts Offences and Bookings of Top-European Soccer

Leagues Referees

2.1 Overview

2.2 Data Treatment

2.3 Principal Component Analysis for Future Selection

2.4 Results and Discussion

2.5 Summary

References

Chapter 3

European Soccer Leagues

3.1 Overview

3.2 Clustering

3.3 Feature Selection

3.4 Machine Learning-based Classification Model

3.5 Results and Discussion

3.6 Summary

References

Chapter 4

Positional Events Incidences Leading to VAR Intervention in European Soccer Leagues

Games

4.1 Overview

4.2 Events Variables

4.3 Machine Learning-based Classification Analysis

4.4 Results and Discussion

4.5 Summary

References

Chapter 5

Decisions Error of Top European Leagues Soccer Leagues Referees at Specific Time of

Match Play

5.1 Overview

5.2 Clustering

5.3 Classification

5.4 Results and Discussion

5.5 Summary

References

Chapter 6

Prevalence and Differences of Decisions Error in Top-Class European Soccer Leagues

6.1 Overview

6.2 Types of Decisions Error Across the Leagues

6.4 Summary

References

Chapter 7

Relationship Between match loading and Decisions Error among top-class European

Soccer Leagues Referees

7.1 Overview

7.2 Clustering

7.3 Classification

7.4 Results and Discussion

7.5 Summary

References

Chapter 8

Summary, Conclusion, Current Status and Future Direction for Referees' Performance

in European Soccer Leagues

8.1 Summary

8.2 Conclusion

8.3 Current Status and Future Direction