The purpose of the article is to conduct empirical research on interdependence of the key individual psychological characteristics of handball referees before the beginning of a game; perform comparative analysis of the obtained parameters of referees with different categories and identify significant dynamic changes. The study substantiates and characterizes anxiety, aggressiveness and subjective control as important features of referees' activity, affecting objectivity of results. Research methods: retrospective critical analysis of scientific literature, psycho-diagnostic testing, purposeful observation, comparative analysis using Student's t-test, Pearson's R correlation analysis. The study outlines the primary methodological postulates and technology for measuring parameters of the phenomena under study. Results. The study presents a graphical structure of subjective control of handball referees by qualification categories. Pearson's (r) correlation analysis allowed determining interdependence of the parameters under study. Positive significant correlations were identified: between emotional stability and internality in the area of achievements (r=.286; p.01); between emotional stability and internality in labor relations (r=.278; p.01). Negative significant correlations were registered: between internality in the area of achievements and the parameters of aggressiveness: between inclination towards direct physical aggression (r=-.185; p.05) and the level of impulsiveness (r=-.268; p.01); between self-estimation of reactive anxiety and internality in labor relations (r=-.178; p.05). The study substantiates that the identified list of significant correlations proves that a respondent's achievement of a higher level of qualification requires mobilization of their neural and mental efforts, a high level of subjective self-control and self-regulatory capability. Conclusions. The study emphasizes that the identified correlations of the key individual psychological characteristics of handball referees before the beginning of a game are important scientific facts in the context of the research on referees' activity. It generalizes that the acquired knowledge should be operationalized into professional qualification upgrade programs for training referees in team sports. The study highlights that the obtained scientific facts can be useful for subjects of competition process, researchers in sport psychology.