LAUSR

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to develop an observational coding system that examines coaches’ leadership behaviours in sport. Drawing from an integration of the dimensions emphasized within the full-range leadership model, and particularly, transformational leadership (TFL), the Coach Leadership Assessment System (CLAS) was designed to examine coaches’ real-time leadership behaviours. Behavioural categories were developed through an iterative combination of literature review, qualitative interviews, and video observation. The CLAS consists of five higher-order dimensions: transformational, transactional, neutral, laissez-faire, and toxic coaching, which assess coaches’ leadership across 18 distinct behavioural categories. Overall, results provided preliminary support for the reliability and validity of this instrument. The CLAS provides a detailed and contextualized account of coaches’ leadership behaviours in sport and may have important implications for theory development and applied practice.