Refereeing is a demanding and intermittent activity that combines high-speed and low-intensity actionThe aim of this study is to analyse the external and internal load of professional Spanish footb...

The aim of this study was to analyze the physical demands of elite male and female field referees in match play and compare the physical demands between male and female football referees in the competition. Match data were collected from 36 elite football referees (19 males and 17 females) during a total of 409 football matches. Electronic performance and tracking systems based on global positioning systems (GPS) were used in this research. Male referees experienced significantly greater physical demands (p<0.05) in men league than female referees in women league for total distance, explosive distance, high-intensity breaking distance, total of sprints, sprinting distance, high-speed running distance, high-speed running actions, maximal speed, total of accelerations and decelerations, maximal acceleration and deceleration, acceleration/deceleration. Therefore, strength and conditioning coaches should consider these gender differences in match demands to maximize the fitness-fatigue response of the referees since this may lead to a better performance during the decision making process in the competition.

The aim of this study was to examine the physical demands for elite female referees during competitive matches and to evaluate the relationship between match performance and fitness levels. Seventeen female elite field referees were fitness-tested (29.0 ± 5.2 (SD) years, 163.8 ± 6.7 cm, 54.0 ± 5.1 kg, Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIR1) performance 1610 ± 319 m) and were analysed during a total of 187 football matches. Global positioning systems (GPS) were used in this research. The physical demands were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the second half of matches compared to the first half. Regarding the acceleration-related variables, the female referees revealed a higher number of high-intensity actions in the first half compared to the second half. However, higher low-intensity demands were observed for the females referees in the second half compared to the first half in the total number of accelerations (ACC) (~70.48 n; ES = 0.61; p < 0.05) and decelerations (DEC) (~71.11 n; ES = 0.62; p < 0.05); total number of ACC in zone 1 (~85.27 n; ES = 0.70; p < 0.05) and DEC in zone 1 (Z1) (~83.98 n; ES = 0.71; p < 0.05); and distance covered accelerating and decelerating in Z1. The distance covered in YYIR1 and the performance in the repeated sprint ability test correlated with the physical demands during matches for female football referees (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study described the physical performance profile of female football referees and differences between the first and second halves of matches were observed. The results of this study revealed positive correlations between intermittent exercise fitness levels, the repeated sprint ability performance and match performance in female football referees, and thus this information can be implemented in their training plan designs.

The aim of this study is to analyze the worst-case scenarios of professional futsal referees during the first and second half of official matches in the Spanish Futsal Cup using a Local Positioning System (LPS) for monitoring their movement patterns. Eight professional futsal referees (40 ± 3.43 years; 1.80 ± 0.03 m; 72.84 ± 4.01 kg) participated in the study. The external load (total distance, high-speed running distance and efforts, sprint distance and efforts, and accelerations and decelerations distances) of the referees was monitored and collected using an LPS. The results revealed significant differences in the worst-case scenarios of the futsal referees during the match according to the time window analyzed (p < 0.05). The longest time windows (120 s, 180 s, and 300 s) showed lower relative total distances in the worst-case scenarios (p < 0.05). The high-speed running distances were significatively higher in the first half for the 120 s (+2.65 m·min⁻¹; ES: 1.25), 180 s (+1.55 m·min⁻¹; ES: 1.28), and 300 s (+0.95 m·min⁻¹; ES: 1.14) time windows (p < 0.05). No differences were found between the first and second half for the high-intensity deceleration distance (p > 0.05). These results will serve to prepare the referees in the best conditions for the competition and adapt the training plans to the worst-case scenarios.

The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of the type of extracurricular sport on the body composition, respiratory parameters, and physical condition in prepubertal and pubertal girls. Four hundred and eighty-five female athletes (aged 8–14) from different sports participated in this study. They were gathered into four groups according to the sport typology and maturity level: ‘prepubertal girls who practise collective sports’ (PRE-CS), ‘prepubertal girls who practise individual sports’ (PRE-IS), ‘pubertal girls who practise collective sports’ (PUB-CS), and ‘pubertal girls who practise individual sports’ (PUB-IS). The cardiorespiratory fitness (the 20 m shuttle run test, 20 mSRT), anthropometry, respiratory capacity (forced spirometry), handgrip, CMJ test, and stabilometry were collected. Prepubertal girls showed a lower muscle mass (kg) and fat mass (kg) than pubertal girls regardless of the extracurricular sports typology. PRE-CS and PRE-IS also showed a lower respiratory fitness and physical fitness than pubertal girls (p < 0.05). Pubertal girls did not show significant differences (p > 0.05) in any of the body composition, respiratory fitness, and physical fitness variables when comparing between collective sports and individual sports. The results show that extracurricular participation in these types sports by prepubertal girls can influence their body composition, respiratory fitness, and physical condition.