title: Intensities of exercise during match-play in FA Premier League referees and players.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between intensities of exercise during match-play of elite-standard 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 (-0.594 ± 0.394 vs. -0.713 ± 0.269 m · min(-1); P = 0.104), high-speed running (-0.039 ± 0.077 vs. -0.059 ± 0.030 m · min(-1); P = 0.199), and sprinting (-0.003 ± 0.039 vs. -0.021 ± 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. -20.031 ± 25.502 m per match day; P = 0.439) and sprinting (-9.662 ± 7.564 vs. -8.589 ± 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport & Exercise Sciences, School of Social Sciences & Law, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK. m.weston@tees.ac.uk
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weston
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drust
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gregson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D006113:United Kingdom