engleski

Soccer referees repeated sprint abilities

Soccer referees are an integral part of the soccer game. Their job is to regulate the behavior of players and other participants through the implementation of soccer rules. In addition to the principal referee who makes the final decision on the ground, there are 3 assistant referees that may assist in game regulation. To make the most correct decision, the referee must be at the right place and have an overview of the situation which requires excellent physical condition, visual perception, mental ability, focus, willingness and ability to make quick decisions. The aim of this study was to evaluate sprint abilities of soccer referees and assistant referees. Methods The sample consisted of 83 soccer referees, international (N=15) and national (N=68). On average referees were 35.5±3.2 years old, 183.1±6.2 cm tall and weighted 83.6±6.4 kg. All of the referees were tested with the FIFA High-Intensity Fitness Test that involves 6 x 40m sprints followed by a maximum of 1 minute and 30 seconds recovery after each sprint. Results The average values of all six trials for referees was 5.75±0.19 s (range 5.3-6.1), and significantly better for assistant referees 5.63±0.15.s (5.1-5.9). The average best trial for referees was 5.58±0.24 s, and for assistants 5.59±0.11 s. Discussion During competitive games, referees pass a total of 9-13 km with varying levels of intensity, but approximately at the level of 85 to 90% of the maximal heart rate and respectively 70 to 80% of the maximal oxygen consumption (Weston et all, 2012). Blood lactate concentration was between 4 and 5 mmol/l, but the recorded values were as high as 14 mmol/l. All this leads to the fact that they are subjected to high levels of exertion that can sometimes even exceed those that the players endure. It is also important that they can not be replaced like players so they have to keep pace with the match from the beginning till the end. The results for both referees and assistants are within the FIFA required values. The better results of assistants are in correspondence with the demands of their role – they have to be in line with the ball whenever it is possible to avoid wrong offside judgments due to poor positioning. Krustrup and his colleagues (2002) stated that assistant referees’ performance of repeated sprints correlates with the high-intensity players’ performance in a soccer game. The differences between the six trials in the sense of fatigue were not noticed.

soccer referees; assistant referees; sprint abilities

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