Abstract
Official tests are used to assess the fitness status of soccer referees, and their results correlate with match performance. However, FIFA-approved tests expose the referees to high physical demands and are difficult to implement during the sportive year. The aim of our study was to evaluate the correlation between the 6 × 40-m sprint and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 (IR1) official tests and other field-based tests that require no or little equipment, are not time-consuming, and impose low physical demands. All tests were performed by male referees from the Regional Section of the Italian Referee Association (n = 30). We observed a strong correlation between 6 × 40-m sprint and Illinois agility tests (r = 0.63, p = 0.001) and a moderate correlation between Yo-Yo IR1 and hand-grip strength in the dominant (r = 0.45, p = 0.014) and non-dominant hand (r = 0.41, p = 0.031). Interestingly, only a moderate correlation (r = −0.42, p = 0.025) was observed between the FIFA official tests, 6 × 40-m sprint and Yo-Yo IR1. These results suggest that Illinois agility and hand-grip tests could represent simple and low-physical-impact tools for repeated assessment and monitoring of referee fitness throughout the sportive season.
Highlights
The referee is in overall control of the soccer game
The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the results of the official fitness tests performed by AIA referees, namely 6 × 40-m sprint and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 (IR1), and other common tests aimed at the evaluation of several domains of physical fitness, such as: the hand-grip strength (HGS) test, which evaluates explosive strength in the upper limbs; the sit-and-reach (SaR) test, which assesses flexibility; the Illinois agility (IA) test, which assesses agility; and the standing long jump (SLJ) and standing quintuple jump (SQJ) tests, which both evaluate explosive strength in the lower limbs
This study aimed to examine the correlation between two Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)/AIA official tests used for the yearly the fitness of international and regional soccer referees
Summary
In addition to the considerable psychological and cognitive demands placed on referees during games [1], an extensive load is imposed on their cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. It is the training, performance, and injury prevention of soccer players that have been extensively studied over the last few decades, with only limited scientific studies dedicated to fitness monitoring and injury prevention in referees. Referees are usually not full-time professionals, they are on average 15–20 years older than players, and they cannot normally be substituted During the game, they perform a mix of walking and running activity of low, medium, and high intensity [2,3]. The physical fitness of elite soccer referees is of fundamental importance for effective officiating
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