With the ever increasing pace in the modern game, it is important for match officials to keep up to speed with the players’ fitness.

To combat that, they (match officials) have to undergo official fitness tests at least once a year, and they must pass it.

Here’s a snippet of what goes on during the tests:

Test 1 – Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA): Measures the referee’s ability to perform repeated sprints over 40m

Test 2 – Interval Test: Evaluates the referee’s capacity to perform a series of high-speed runs over 75m interspersed with 25m walking intervals.

The time between the end of Test 1 and the start of Test 2 should be 6 to 8 minutes maximum

It is recommended that all fitness testing be conducted by a qualified physical instructor

It is also mandatory that a well-equipped ambulance is in attendance for the entire testing session

Tests must be performed on an athletics track (or a natural/artificial football field if no track is available)

Athletic spikes may NOT be worn during the tests

 

For more information on FIFA Fitness tests for referees (Click here)