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Weston, M. et. al. (2011) 'Changes in a top-level soccer referee’s trai i g, atch
activities and physiology over an 8-year period: a case study', International Journal
of Sports Physiology and Performance, 6 (2), pp.281-286.
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CASE STUDY
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2011, 6, 281-286
© 2011 Human Kinetics, Inc.
Changes in a Top-Level Soccer Referee’s
Training, Match Activities, and Physiology
Over an 8-Year Period: A Case Study
Matthew Weston, Warren Gregson, Carlo Castagna,
Simon Breivik, Franco M. Impellizzeri, and Ric J. Lovell
Athlete case studies have often focused on the training outcome and not the training process. Consequently, there is a dearth of information detailing longitudinal
training protocols, yet it is the combined assessment of both outcome and process
that enhances the interpretation of physical test data. We were provided with a
unique opportunity to assess the training load, physical match performance, and
physiological itness of an elite soccer referee from the referee’s inal season before
attaining full-time, professional status (2002) until the season when he refereed the
2010 UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup inals. An increased focus
on on-ield speed and gym-based strength training was observed toward the end
of the study period and longitudinal match data showed a tendency for decreased
total distances but an increased intensity of movements. Laboratory assessments
demonstrated that VO2max remained stable (52.3 vs 50.8 mL⋅kg–1⋅min–1), whereas
running speed at the lactate threshold (14.0 vs 12.0 km⋅h–1) and running economy
(37.3 vs 43.4 mL⋅kg–1⋅min–1) both improved in 2010 compared with 2002.
Keywords: aging, aerobic, anaerobic, itness, training, strength, speed
Methods
Subject
The subject was a male soccer referee who was promoted to the English Football
League referees list (nonprofessional) in 2000 at an age of 31 y and then to the
FA Premier League in 2003 (full-time, professional). In 2010, he became the irst
referee in history to oficiate the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup
Matthew Weston is with the Department of Sport & Exercise Sciences, School of Social Sciences &
Law, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK. Warren Gregson is with the Research Institute for Sport
and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK. Carlo Castagna is with the
School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome “Tor
Vergata,” Rome, Italy. Simon Breivik is with Professional Game Match Oficials Limited, FA Premier
League, London, UK. Franco M. Impellizzeri is with CeRiSM—Research Centre “Sport, Mountain
and Health” Rovereto, University of Verona, Italy. Ric J. Lovell is with the Department of Sport, Health
and Exercise Science, University of Hull, Kingston upon Hull, UK.
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Weston et al.
inals in the same season. Data were collected as part of the sports science support
provided to the referee, and the referee gave his informed consent for the study.
Training and Match Loads
Data were collected across seven full soccer seasons (2003/04 to 2009/10), during
which period the referee missed only one match due to injury (November 2006).
Exercise sessions were categorized into matches, high-intensity aerobic, speed
endurance, low-intensity aerobic, on-ield speed development (including agility,
assisted and resisted sprinting, and plyometrics), and gym-based strength (hypertrophy and muscular endurance). Training load was determined using the session-RPE
method,1 with the exercise session duration being recorded in 1 min intervals. Physical match performance data, based on the analysis of 15 ± 6 matches per season,
were collected using a computerized, semiautomatic video match-analysis image
recognition system (Prozone, Leeds, U.K.) with dependent variable categorization
as in a previous study.2
Laboratory Assessment
The referee underwent a physiological assessment during the 2002/03 and 2009/10
English soccer seasons. Skin folds were measured using a skin fold technique at
four sites (biceps, triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac). An incremental test was
performed on a treadmill (Woodway, Germany) with 1% of inclination and four
to six 3 min stages, each separated by a 30 s break for blood lactate analysis (YSI
2300, Yellow Springs Instrument, USA). The starting speed was 11 km⋅h–1, with
speed increasing by 1 km⋅h–1 on each subsequent stage. The lactate threshold was
deined as per Jones.3 Expired gases were collected during the inal minute of each
stage (ZAN, nSpire, UK). When the referee indicated he was at point 9 (almost
maximal) on the CR10 Borg scale,1 the treadmill speed was kept constant and the
grade was increased by 1% each minute until volitional exhaustion. A plateau in
VO2, deined as an increase in oxygen uptake of less than 2 mL⋅kg–1⋅min–1 with
increasing exercise intensity, was used as the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max)
criterion during the inal stage of the treadmill test, with running economy deined
as the VO2 required to run at 12 km⋅h–1.
Results
The frequency of high-intensity aerobic and speed endurance training sessions
decreased over the duration of the study. This decrease was offset by an increase
in gym-based strength training and on-ield speed development. Weekly RPE load
increased during the later seasons of the study (Table 1), with the increase being most
pronounced during the penultimate season. Mean session-RPE showed a propensity
to decrease toward the end of the study. Across the duration of the study, there was
a tendency for reduced total match distance, along with increased match high-speed
running distances, total number of sprints and top sprinting speeds (Table 2). The
referee’s body mass was higher in 2010 when compared with 2002 (98.7 vs 97.1
kg), with a concomitant decrease in the sum of the skin folds (42.2 vs 53.6 mm).
Table 1 An elite-level soccer referee’s typology, volume, and intensity of exercise sessions performed across a
period of seven consecutive soccer seasons (2003/04 to 2009/10)
Season
2003/04
Exercise Session Typology
Exercise Volume
HighLowOn-Field
GymIntensity Speed
Intensity
Speed
Based
Matches Aerobic Endurance Aerobic Development Strength
Total Time Mean Session
(h)
Duration (min)
49
34
32
26
25
5
190
67 ± 24
Exercise Intensity
Weekly
RPE Load
Mean
Session-RPE
1169 ± 463
4.9 ± 2.0
2004/05
46
40
21
56
33
3
199
60 ± 25
1118 ± 450
4.3 ± 2.0
2005/06
55
30
13
53
39
13
220
65 ± 24
1261 ± 400
4.4 ± 1.9
2006/07
47
24
15
41
29
24
198
66 ± 26
1351 ± 346
4.5 ± 1.9
2007/08
50
27
14
42
39
52
249
66 ± 31
1337 ± 451
4.2 ± 2.0
2008/09
52
22
15
26
44
71
314
82 ± 34
1809 ± 584
4.2 ± 2.1
2009/10
48
28
7
25
52
76
303
78 ± 26
1482 ± 589
3.9 ± 2.1
Note. The mean duration and RPE of the referee’s different exercise sessions over the duration of the study was as follows: matches (95 ± 10 min; 6.1 ± 0.9); highintensity aerobic (65 ± 32 min; 6.5 ± 1.1); speed endurance (68 ± 23 min; 5.5 ± 1.1); low-intensity aerobic (61 ± 29 min; 3.2 ± 1.4); on-ield speed development (62
± 29 min; 2.7 ± 0.9); gym-based strength (56 ± 19 min; 2.2 ± 0.7).
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Table 2 An elite-level soccer referee’s physical match performances across a period of seven consecutive
soccer seasons (2003/04 to 2009/10)
Season
Number of
matches
analyzed
Total Distance
(m)
High-Speed
Running (m)
Mean Match
Sprints
Top Speed
(km⋅h–1)
Distance from
Ball (m)
Distance from
Fouls (m)
2003/04
4
12513 ± 218
808 ± 92
22 ± 6
31.6 ± 1.6
18.5 ± 0.6
14.0 ± 1.2
2004/05
14
13042 ± 419
941 ± 125
25 ± 9
31.9 ± 1.3
17.4 ± 0.5
13.9 ± 1.8
2005/06
17
12508 ± 466
1003 ± 252
26 ± 12
31.5 ± 1.5
18.0 ± 0.6
14.6 ± 2.4
2006/07
16
12249 ± 358
941 ± 242
24 ± 14
31.2 ± 1.9
18.6 ± 0.8
13.8 ± 1.4
2007/08
11
12151 ± 449
1263 ± 172
48 ± 11
32.4 ± 1.0
18.2 ± 0.5
13.6 ± 1.7
2008/09
21
11700 ± 473
1126 ± 210
37 ± 15
32.8 ± 1.6
18.7 ± 0.8
14.0 ± 1.1
2009/10
23
11171 ± 368
1142 ± 180
50 ± 17
33.7 ± 1.3
19.1 ± 0.5
14.5 ± 1.6
Note. The term high-speed running is deined as all running performed >19.8 km⋅h–1; sprints are deined as running performed >25.2 km⋅h–1.
Case Study of an Elite Soccer Referee
285
The referee’s VO2max (52.3 [5.164 L⋅min–1] mL⋅kg–1⋅min–1) and maximal HR (196
bpm) recorded in 2010 were not substantially different when compared with 2002
(50.8 [4.932 L⋅min–1] mL⋅kg–1⋅min–1 and 198 bpm, respectively). An increase in
running speed at the lactate threshold and an improved running economy were
observed in 2010 (14.0 km⋅h–1 and 37.3 mL⋅kg–1⋅min–1, respectively) when compared with 2002 (12.0 km⋅h–1 and 43.4 mL⋅kg–1⋅min–1, respectively).
Discussion
This study provided for the irst time longitudinal data on the training processes
and physical performances of an elite-level soccer referee. High-intensity aerobic
and speed endurance training dominated the referee’s training process in the early
seasons of the study. However, to develop a holistic itness proile and address the
progressive declines in anaerobic itness with increasing referee age,4 more emphasis was placed on the development of speed, strength, and power during the later
seasons of the study. The increase in training frequency and duration accounted
for the higher weekly RPE loads observed toward the end of the study, especially
during the penultimate season.
An increased amount of player high-speed running over recent seasons has been
shown during English Premier League matches.5 Given that referees’ physical match
performances are partly related to those of the players,6 our data may support the
observation of an increased intensity of match performance by the referee toward
the end of the study. Higher top sprinting speeds during the inal seasons are likely
to be a consequence of the increased focus on speed development.
Even though there was no improvement in VO2max, the referee’s running speed
at lactate threshold and running economy both improved in 2010 when compared
with 2002. Our data would appear to support the suggestion that improvements in
submaximal itness factors can occur in the absence of any further improvements
in VO2max.3 The increased strength training during the later seasons of the study
may have played a role in the improved running economy. Previous research has
demonstrated an age-related decline in the aerobic and anaerobic itness of soccer
referees.4 However, despite the study spanning an 8 y period, no age impairment
was observed in either the referee’s itness or in his capacity to undertake the most
physically demanding match activities, namely, high-speed running and sprinting.
Practical Applications
The data presented within this case study provide a comprehensive insight into
training practices involved in helping an elite-level soccer referee reach the pinnacle
of his sport, while in-turn describing the long-term impact of a professionalized
training environment on a referee’s physical performances.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to sincerely thank the referee for his cooperation with the study and
also Martin Bland (Prozone), Jonny Taylor, and Thomas McBain for their help with the
data reduction and collection.
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3. Jones AM. A ive year physiological case study of an Olympic runner. Br J Sports Med.
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