Can Referees Protect Their Hearing From Their Own Whistle?

Yes, and it’s worth doing. Studies of sports officials have measured whistles at roughly 104 to 116 dBA, loud enough that only a few seconds to a minute and a half of whistle sound can use up a full day’s noise allowance. A comfortable filtered earplug lets you keep hearing players, coaches and your crew while taking the sharp edge off every blast.

Quick answer

• How loud: one study measured whistles at 104 to 116 dBA. Hockey officials in another study averaged 93 dBA across games.
• Why it adds up: the whistle sits inches from your own ears, and some officials blow it around 60 times a game.
• What helps: filtered earplugs that turn sound down evenly, so voices stay clear.
• Our pick: The One, with interchangeable filters from 9 to 30 dB.
• Check in: regular hearing tests, and a doctor or audiologist if ringing is new or getting worse.

How loud is a referee’s whistle?

Louder than most people guess. In a study of sports officials published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, Gregory Flamme and Nathan Williams measured commercially available whistles and found sound levels between 104 and 116 dBA. They worked out that this equals a maximum unprotected exposure of about 90 seconds at the quieter end and just 5 seconds at the louder end, before you’ve reached a full day’s noise dose.

The Hearing Health Foundation reports a similar picture from NIOSH research on officials, with whistles producing “levels between 105 and 120 dB” at the ear of the person blowing them.

For a sense of scale, NIOSH sets its recommended exposure limit at 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour day, and for every 3 dBA increase it recommends cutting the time in half. Each step up the scale shrinks your time allowance fast.

Is it the whistle or the crowd?

Usually both, and it changes with the sport and the building. The NIDCD lists sporting events at 94 to 110 dBA, so the crowd alone can be a lot.

Indoor hockey has been studied closely. A Colorado State University thesis by Katherine Johnesee measured referees and linesmen during the 2014 season and found whistles sounded about 60 times per game and could reach 116 dBA. In that study, 89% of officials exceeded the ACGIH recommendation, though none went over the OSHA limit.

Another study of 29 indoor hockey officials in Wyoming, indexed by NIOSH, recorded an average of 93 dBA over games, with average peaks of 134 dB. After games, 25 of the 29 officials (86.2%) showed a temporary threshold shift of 10 dB or more, most often at 4000 Hz.

Basketball tells a slightly different story. Researchers measuring basketball referees in Italy found whistles drive a large share of the total exposure, but after correcting for where the microphone and whistle sit, the weekly exposure came out at 80.6 dB(A), a few dB below the NIOSH limit. The loudest corrected peak was 134.7 dB(C). So a weekend basketball official and a busy hockey referee may have very different days.

What the officiating studies found

What does a temporary threshold shift mean for an official?

It means your hearing is a little duller for a while after the game. The NIDCD explains that loud noise can cause a temporary hearing loss that disappears 16 to 48 hours later, and adds that research suggests there may still be residual long-term damage even when hearing seems to bounce back.

Ringing is part of the story too. In Flamme and Williams’ survey, male officials registered in Michigan reported more hearing trouble and tinnitus than the general population of the Midwest.

If you notice ringing that is new or getting worse, muffled hearing that doesn’t clear, or any ear pain, please see a doctor or audiologist. Our post on what a hearing test shows explains what to expect at that visit.

Can you still hear players and coaches with earplugs in?

Yes, if you choose the right kind. Officials need to hear a captain’s question, a coach’s timeout call and a partner’s signal. A plug that blocks too much works against you.

NIOSH says to “avoid overprotection” and aim for just enough reduction to bring exposure down to 75–85 dBA. It also describes flat attenuation earplugs, sometimes called musicians’ earplugs, which reduce sound evenly across frequencies and suit jobs where talking is common. That evenness keeps voices sounding like voices, only quieter.

Comfort matters as much as the number. NIOSH puts it plainly: comfort is the key to consistent use. A plug you forget you’re wearing by the second period is the one that stays in.

How does Big Ear help officials protect their hearing?

For most officials, we suggest The One, our custom filtered earplug. It’s hand-built in the USA from impressions of your own ears, in soft platinum-cure silicone.

Every pair has a two-part, analog, non-electronic filter system. A non-linear filter sits in the canal, and an interchangeable flat filter sits on the outside face. You can choose 9, 15, 20, 25 or 30 dB flat filters and swap them in seconds. With one filter installed, The One has an NRR of 25 dB.

Lighter filters (9, 15 or 20 dB) are our general pick for quieter settings, and 25 or 30 dB for louder ones such as marching band or firearms. Officiating varies so much from a youth soccer field to an indoor rink that we’d rather talk it through with you. Give us a call at (719) 271-4528 and we’ll help you pick.

If you work both quiet and loud venues, two filter levels can be handy. Our filter guide walks through each one.

Which The One kit fits an official?

Not sure which way to go? Our Find my pair page asks a few quick questions and points you to a match.

What else can officials do to lower their exposure?

A few habits help alongside earplugs:

• Get a baseline hearing test. The Wyoming hockey study recommended annual hearing tests and hearing protection for officials. A baseline gives you something to compare against later.
• Think about your helmet. In lab tests on a manikin from the same hockey study, a 4-inch visor raised peak whistle levels by about 4 dBA compared with no visor.
• Give your ears quiet time. After a tournament day, let your ears rest before the drive home playlist goes up.
• Use the voice check. NIOSH notes that at 85 dBA you often have to raise your voice to be heard 3 feet away. If you’re shouting at your partner, it’s loud.

How do you get custom earplugs made?

It starts at home. Your order includes a free Home Impression Kit that arrives in 3 to 4 business days. Making the impressions is a simple process that you can do in the comfort of your home: about 15 to 20 minutes with a helper and a guided video, and the return postage is paid. If an impression doesn’t come out right, we send you another kit at no charge.

Once your impressions reach our lab in Blythewood, South Carolina, we hand-build your pair in 40 business days. Order shipping is $10. Every pair comes with our 30-Day Fit Warranty and a 1-year manufacturer defect warranty against manufacturing defects (loss isn’t covered). Because each pair is made for your ears, custom products can’t be returned. We keep your impressions on file for up to ten years, so a replacement pair is easy.

Referee earplug FAQ

Will earplugs make it hard to hear the whistle from my partner?

A filtered plug turns the whistle down, but it stays easy to hear because it’s still very loud. Lighter filters keep more of the room in your ears.

Can I wear custom earplugs under a helmet?

Yes. Custom earplugs sit in the ear rather than over it, so they work under hockey and lacrosse helmets and caps.

Do basketball officials need protection as much as hockey officials?

The studies suggest exposure varies by sport and arena. The basketball study found weekly exposure a few dB below the NIOSH limit, while hockey studies found many officials above recommended levels. If your ears ring after games, that’s a sign to protect them.

What if my ears already ring after games?

Please see a doctor or audiologist, especially if the ringing is new or getting worse. Hearing protection can help reduce your risk going forward.

Ready to protect your hearing on game day?

Start with a free Home Impression Kit, try Find my pair, or call us at (719) 271-4528. We’d love to help you hear every call clearly for many seasons to come.

Sources

• Flamme GA, Williams N. Sports officials’ hearing status: whistle use as a factor contributing to hearing trouble. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 2013;10(1):1–10. PubMed.
• Masullo M, Lenzuni P, Maffei L, et al. Assessment of noise exposure for basketball sports referees. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 2016;13(6):464–475. PubMed.
• Adams KL. Indoor Hockey Officials’ Noise Exposure, Temporary Hearing Loss, and Effect of Helmet Visor Length on Exposure to Whistle Noise. 2016. CDC Stacks (NIOSH).
• Johnesee K. Noise characterization and exposure of indoor hockey officials. Colorado State University, 2015.
• Hearing Health Foundation. Why Are (Some) Sports So Noisy? 20 May 2021.
• NIDCD. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Updated 16 April 2025.
• NIOSH. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Reviewed 30 January 2024.
• NIOSH. Provide Hearing Protection. Reviewed 31 January 2024.