Qualitative Analysis of demographic factors affecting the incidence of deviant behaviors in Iranian Football Players

The purpose of this study was to identify the demographic factors affecting the deviant behaviors of players of Iranian Football Premier League, which was done using qualitative method in 2017 & 2018. The statistical population of the study consisted of directors of football clubs (18 persons) and heads of soccer board (7 persons) in the Iranian Premier League in the Sixteenth and seventeenth seasons, as well as football experts and university professors related to the subject. Using a targeted snowball sampling method, 23 individuals were selected as statistical sample. The method of data collection in the first stage was a library study and in the second stage qualitative interviews. To interpret the data obtained from qualitative interviews, for data analysis the Grounded Theory method was used. Twenty-five interviews resulted in theoretical saturation stage. The results of the qualitative interviews showed that the demographic factors affecting these behaviors include the general concepts of education, age, marital status, social status, sport background and social attitude. Therefore, considering the effective role of the abovementioned factors, it is suggested that managers and planners of the field of professional sport take into account the differences between their players in their guidance and leadership.