Time motion analysis of football (soccer) referees during official matches in relation to the type of fluid consumed

A Systematic Review of the Physical, Physiological, Nutritional and Anthropometric Profiles of Soccer Referees

BACKGROUND

The importance of soccer referees is widely accepted by international soccer organizations and governing bodies, although there is little research summarizing and appraising the literature on soccer referees. The aim of this study was to systematically review the information related to physical demands, nutrition and physiological profiling of soccer referees.

METHODS

Conforming with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, searches of three electronic databases (Web of Sciences, PubMed and Scopus) were conducted on 24 April 2022. The following search terms were used: (Soccer OR football AND refer*) AND (physical OR physiolo* OR load* OR "body composition" OR "fat mass" OR "fat free mass" OR "body size" OR "nutrition*" OR "nutritional assessment" OR "nutritional intake" OR "macronutrient*" OR "micronutrient*"). The inclusion criteria of the manuscripts written in English were that articles with male and/or female soccer referees and included relevant data concerning performance, physical testing, nutrition, body composition, body size and/or physiology of soccer referees. The tools developed by the National Institute of Health were used to assess risk of bias according to the study design.

RESULTS

In total, 110 manuscripts were included in the present review. Match activities of soccer referees and assistant referees are not comparable. Variation in performance is influenced by competitive level and competitive schedules. Additionally, match performance is often used to validate field protocols. The associations between match indicators and field protocols were not constant across the included studies, particularly in short-maximal tests. An age decline in physical performance was not conclusive. Body size did not discriminate between referees and assistant referees, as well as referees of different competitive levels. Few studies focused on nutritional guidelines among referees, particularly exercise energy expenditure. Energy intake was comparable across studies, but referees did not follow the daily dietary recommendations. Aerobic output was frequently assessed, and it was not comparable to the values for soccer players.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there are decreases in the running profiles of older referees, they maintain the same distances from the ball, and thus, age per se should not be used to define participation at the international level. The assessment of physical fitness warrants future consideration given the levels of fatigue that are apparent at the end of matches. In order to attain ideal levels of body composition, future studies need to provide guidelines for daily energy expenditure and nutritional intake.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The protocol was published in INPLASY (International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) with the registration number 202280052 and https://doi.org/10.37766/inplasy2022.8.005 .

Does the TMPRSS6 C > T Polymorphism Modify the Endurance Training Effects on Hematological Parameters?

This study investigated the role of TMPRSS6 C > T polymorphism (TMPRP) on the effects of chronic aerobic training on main hematological parameters in male soccer referees, which is yet unknown. Two groups composed of total of 45 healthy male soccer referees and 42 sedentary were compared for hemogram, serum hepcidin, ferritin, and iron levels. TMPRP was determined from genomic DNA samples. Participants' physical and physiological (Yoyo endurance level-2 test) measurements were carried out. The athletic T carrier (Tc = TT + TC) group RBC count was significantly higher than the control (p < 0.01), whereas the athletic CC homozygous group serum iron and transferrin saturation (TS) were lower than the control depending on the TMPRP. The ferritin and iron values of the athletic Tc group were higher than of the athletic CC group (29.2% and 14.1%, respectively; p > 0.05) although the control Tc group RBC (p < 0.05) and iron (23.8%, p > 0.05) values were lower than the control CC due to genetic tendency. The training did not change hepcidin levels. These results suggest that the TMPRP can modify the endurance training effects on iron and TS levels and RBC count (in the CC and Tc groups) respectively. The CC group may be adversely affected for iron and TS from endurance trainings. It may be recommended that the training programs should be organized according to phenotype characteristics.

The Effect of a Competitive Futsal Match on Psychomotor Vigilance in Referees

CONTEXT

Referees' physical and cognitive performance are important for successful officiating in team sports. There is a lack of research on cognitive performance of referees in general, and none in futsal.

PURPOSE

To assess referees' performance on the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) before and after competitive futsal matches during the Football Association (FA) National Futsal League 2015/16.

METHODS

Fourteen futsal referees (mean [SD] age 34.3 [10.0] y) from the FA National Futsal group were included. The referees were required to undertake a 10-min PVT 60 min before the match kickoff time (pretest) and immediately after matches (posttest). They also completed the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) questionnaire before the prematch PVT and after the postmatch PVT.

RESULT

Data were analyzed by paired t tests comparing prematch and postmatch results. There was a significant difference in BRUMS parameters vigor (9.5 [2.5] prematch vs 6.3 [2.4] postmatch, P = .001) and fatigue (1.4 [1.3] prematch vs 5.6 [3.1] postmatch, P < .001). However, PVT performance was significantly improved (mean reaction time 248.3 [26.2] ms prematch vs 239.7 [22.4] ms postmatch, P = .023).

CONCLUSIONS

The present results show, contrary to the authors' initial hypothesis, that psychomotor performance is improved as opposed to decreased after a single match. The postmatch improvement suggests that exercise can acutely enhance cognitive performance, which could be used to inform warm-up practices (eg, optimal duration and intensity) geared toward optimizing referees' cognitive performance during matches.

Effects of the off-Season Period on Field and Assistant Soccer Referees `Physical Performance

The evolution of referees’ physical fitness has been studied over one or several seasons, however, the variation of the physical performance between the end of the competitive season (T1) and the start of the following pre-season (T2) has not been ascertained. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of the transition period on physical performance variables (i.e. linear straight sprint, change of direction ability and endurance) in National Soccer Division referees. Forty-five Spanish referees volunteered to participate in this study. Participants were classified according to competitive status, field referees (FR, n = 23) and assistant referees (AR, n = 22). A loss of performance (p < 0.05) was observed in the 20 and 30 m linear straight sprint between T1 and T2 in both FR (1.64-1.56%, d = 0.29 to 0.32) and AR (2.01-3.41%, d = 0.33 to 0.60). In T2 the FR significantly improved the distance covered (p < 0.05, 13.11%, d = 0.39) in the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery test (YYIR1). Besides, significant differences were observed between FR and AR in the distance covered (p < 0.05, −23.55%, d = −0.97) in the YYIR1 test in T2. More research may be necessary to focus on the off-season period in order to implement specific training programs and consequently reduce the loss of sprint ability in field and assistant referees and the decrease in cardiovascular fitness in assistant referees.

Hydration: The New FIFA World Cup's Challenge for Referee Decision Making?

Various continental sporting events have exposed team sports referees to different environmental conditions. Several studies have focused on strategies to prevent athlete performance impairment induced by heat or warm (or both) conditions, but few authors have investigated the effect of heat on referees' performance. In a thermoneutral environment, referees' physical activity induced mild 2.0% dehydration, which was responsible for reductions in physical, psychomotor, and cognitive performances. Therefore, the hydration status of referees should be taken into account to reduce referees' errors and misjudgments in the heat.

Nutritional intake of elite football referees

There is a paucity of dietary data in football referees. In this study, 23 elite main and assistant referees (34.4 ± 5.6 years) completed a 7-day dietary record during the competitive season. No nutritional intake differences were observed between main and assistant referees. Referees' mean daily energy intake (DEI) was 2819 ± 279 kcal. The intake of proteins (1.7 ± 0.2 g · kg(-1)), carbohydrates (4.1 ± 0.8 g · kg(-1)) and fats (1.4 ± 0.2 g · kg(-1)) represented, respectively, 18.4 ± 1.5%, 44.4 ± 4.4% and 34.6 ± 4.1% of the DEI. Carbohydrate intakes before, during and after exercise were 66 ± 42, 7 ± 15 and 120 ± 62 g. Daily carbohydrate, fibre, polyunsaturated fat and water intakes were below recommendations, while fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium intakes were above recommended values. The prevalence of inadequate intake was high for vitamin E (96%), folate (74%), vitamin A (61%), vitamin C (39%), magnesium (26%) and calcium (22%). Carbohydrate intake before, during and after exercise were far from achieving the minimum recommended values. Most referees demonstrated a negligent behaviour of hydration during exercise. Referees would benefit from dietary education in order to optimise performance and health.

Análise do modelo de avaliação física aplicado aos árbitros de futebol pela FIFA

INTRODUÇÃO: A fim de controlar e selecionar os árbitros para atuação no futebol profissional, a Fédération Internacionale de Football Association (FIFA) propôs a realização de testes físicos. Entretanto, a proposta inicial de avaliação sofreu modificações com o passar dos anos, e o modelo atual parece não ser ideal para avaliar os árbitros, de acordo com o perfil de exigência física demonstrada durante os jogos. OBJETIVOS: Assim, os objetivos deste estudo foram: identificar a carga física de árbitros de futebol e determinar as demandas fisiológicas associadas ao esforço físico realizado durante as partidas oficiais e analisar o modelo atual de avaliação física dos árbitros de futebol. CONCLUSÃO: O árbitro percorre em média 10.000m durante uma partida, sendo a maior parte do tempo percorrida com atividades de baixa intensidade. O perfil de movimentação é intermitente e a demanda energética tem predominância do sistema aeróbico, com importante participação do sistema anaeróbico. Os testes aplicados atualmente não são compatíveis com o padrão de exigência física de um árbitro durante uma partida de futebol.