Intensities of exercise during match-play in FA Premier League referees and players

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between intensities of exercise during match-play of elitestandard soccer referees with those of the players from the same match. Match analysis data were collected (Prozone® Leeds, UK) for 18 elite-standard soccer referees (age 26-49 years) on FA Premier League matches during the 2008/09 English FA Premier League season (236 observations). Running categories for referees and players were as follows: total distance covered (m); high-speed running distance (speed>19.8 km · h^-1); and sprinting distance (speed>25.2 km · h^-1). Analysis of the distance-time regression coefficients revealed no differences between the referees' and players' within-match rates of change for total distance covered (70.594±0.394 vs.70.713+0.269 m · min^-1; P=0.104), high-speed running (70.039±0.077 vs. 70.059±0.030 m · min^-1; P=0.199), and sprinting (70.003+0.039 vs. 70.021+ 0.017 m · min^-1; P=0.114). In addition, there were no differences between across-season rates of change for total distance (-26.756±40.434 vs. 720.031±25.502 m per match day; P=0.439) and sprinting (-9.662±7.564 vs. 78.589±4.351 m per match day; P=0.542). These results show that elite-standard soccer referees' intensities of exercise during match-play are interrelated with those of the players and thus demonstrate that referees are able to keep pace with the players during FA Premier League matches.