Assessment and Conditioning for Soccer Referee Performance Report

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of a soccer referee's physical condition and performance, based on a provided assignment brief. The report begins with an introduction outlining the referee's profile, including age, height, weight, experience, and injury history, along with a discussion of the project's aims and underlying theory. The testing schedule and methods section details the rationale and equipment used for various assessments, including the Adductor Squeeze Test, Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test, and Bruce Protocol Treadmill Test. The results section presents the findings from these tests, comparing them to relevant normative values. The core of the report lies in the rationale for the proposed training program, which provides a scientific justification for the chosen periodization model and its alignment with short- and long-term training goals. The training program is designed to improve the referee's performance and reduce the likelihood of injuries, considering the demands of professional soccer refereeing. The report emphasizes the importance of physical fitness for referees due to the high-intensity nature of the job and offers a detailed plan to enhance the referee's endurance, agility, and overall performance.

Running head: ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
Assessment and Conditioning for Performance
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
Introduction
Physical fitness is a very important aspects of the profession of a referee as a referee
must be physically fit due to the nature of the job. In this report, the health condition of a
referee will be analysed in terms of the physical fitness of the individuals. According to the
information, it is reported that, the individual has the body height of individual is almost 173
cm and the age of the individual is 35 years. The individual has the body weight of 65 kg.
Moreover, it is also reported that, the individual has experience of serving as a FIFA referee
for 10 years and he has 14 year experience of refereeing. In the past time, he had a history of
ITB syndrome. In recent time, the individual is facing difficulties regarding his performances
and he is unable to perform the job of refereeing in a proper manner as well. Nowadays, he
can only perform the task of referring for 45- 90 minutes/ week. Currently he is under the
training program composed of a training session 3 times in week. Along with this, he also
involves in the referring process for 1- 2 times in a specific week and he also runs
individually once in a week. The main reason of this physical activity report is to assess the
current physical condition of the individual and along with this the improvement in the
physical status and the performance of the referee will also be analysed. Therefore, it is
reported that, the referees are very prone to have injury and thus, it is very crucial to improve
the performance of the referees in the fields of soccer.
In this report, the tests performed by the individuals and the required fitness program
are described in a brief manner. The main goal of this training program is to improve the
performance and to reduce the rate of injury among the referees in the soccer field.

2ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
Testing Schedule and Methods
Name of the Test Date Equipment Rationale
Adductor Squeeze
Test
10. 08.2019 Handheld
Dynamometer
Long-lever
adduction (0 degree
hip flexion)
According to the
study of Kang et al.
(2015), it is reported
that, the natural arm
swing is very crucial
for maintain the
proper posture
during the running.
According to the
study of Vlutters et
al. (2018), it can be
stated that, the due
to the dynamic
nature of the
referees’ job, it is
very crucial to run in
the field. Moreover,
sometimes, the
referees are involved
in forward running
and sometimes they
have to run in the
opposite direction as
well. So, in such
scenarios, the
movement of the
hand muscle is very
crucial for
maintaining the
body posture. The
improvement of the
hand muscle
strengths will help
the individual to
maintain the posture
during the forward
or backward running
of the referee during
the soccer match.
The hip flexion is
another important
aspects of enhancing

3ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
the capacity of hip
muscles during the
running. According
to the study of
Khayambashi et al.
(2014), it is reported
that, the adduction
of the hip muscle
can help in
minimizing the pain
and thereby
enhancing the
capacity of the
muscles as well. In
case of running, the
hip muscle is very
crucial and so the
adduction test of hip
muscles can help in
detecting any
problem in the hip
muscles of the
individual involved
in the sports
(Thorborg et al.,
2014).
Yo Yo Intermittent
Recovery Test
10. 08.2019 A running area up to
40 meters is required
in order to perform
the test along with a
non-slip and flat
surface. For marking
the running area,
cones can be used.
However, surface
lining can also be
used as starting area
and end point of the
test.
For identifying the
timing of running for
each individual an
audio recording is
required. Some
individual may
require the water
bottle in the
recovery areas
during the
performance of the
According to the
study of Castillo et
al. (2016), it is
reported that, the Yo
Yo test is mainly
used to examine the
aerobic capacity of
the individuals who
are mainly involved
in the performance
of repeated intense
exercise. This test is
performed until the
exhaustion of the
participants that is
the maximal
performance test.
There are two type
of tests and they are
Yo-Yo Intermittent
Recovery Level 1
(YYIR1) test and
Yo-Yo Intermittent
Recovery Level 2

4ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
test (Wood, 2018) (YYIR2) test. The
first one starts at a
lower speed and
speed enhances in a
progressive manner.
On the other hand,
the second one starts
at a higher intensity
and the intensity
reduces over the
time in a gradual
manner. According
to the study of
Schmitz et al.
(2018), it is reported
that YYIR is the
primary tests for
testing the
endurance capacity
of the individual and
the YYRI2 is mainly
used for quantifying
the ability to
perform intense
exercise along with a
high anaerobic
capacity in a
repetitive manner.
As a referee is
engaged in a high
intensity sports that
is soccer so the
improvement in the
anaerobic capacity
of the referee will
help them to perform
in a well manner and
the overall
performance will be
improved as well
( Castillo et al.,
2016).
Bruce Protocol
Treadmill Test
11.08.2019 It is the maximal
exercise test in
which the athlete is
engaged in a
treadmill run till the
athlete become
exhausted and the
inclination and the
The Bruce Protocol
Treadmill Test is
used to examine the
vo2 max of an
athlete individual.
Vo2 max is a one of
the most important
indicators of the

5ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
speed of the
treadmill is
enhanced in every
three minutes of the
test. The test starts at
the speed of 2.7km/h
and the inclination is
almost 10 degree at
the point of starting
the test.
cardiorespiratory
fitness of the body.
According to
Weisenthal et al.
(2014), it is stated
that, the Vo2 max
refers to the
maximum oxygen
consumption during
the incremental
maximal exercise. It
is generally stated
that , the more .
amount of oxygen
consumed by the
body is the signage
of good fitness level
of the body. It is
possible to enhance
the VO2 max by
regular performing
of the exercise. In
case of referee, it is
very crucial to have
high VO2max as
they are engaged in
a continuous
exercise during the
soccer game. A
referee has to run a
lot in forward and
backward direction.
According to the
study of (), it is
reported that elite
referees produce
high intensity efforts
in every 33.5 secs of
the play and that
situation lasts for 2-3
seconds. The study
findings of Inácio
Da Silva, Ferreira
Junior, and
Kaminagakura
(2014) reported that
the approximate
VO2 max of the
referees ranges from
45 to 55 ml/kg/min.

6ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
The other study by
Inácio Da Silva,
Ferreira Junior, and
Kaminagakura
(2014), reported
that, the overall jobs
of the referees is
divided into two
categories and
among them 65.5%
of the exercises are
low intensity
exercises and 34.5%
of the exercises are
high intensity
exercises. So, it can
be said that, the
enhancing of the
maximum oxygen
consumption during
the high intensity
exercise can help in
the improvement of
the performance of
the referees. Apart
form that, it is also
evident that , the
enhanced oxygen
consumption will
reduce the
possibility of the
injury of the
referees as due to
improved oxygen
consumption, the
cases of muscle
cramps and muscle
stiffness will be
decreased and
thereby causing the
reduction of injury
rate among the
referees as well
(Halson, 2014).

7ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
Results
Adductor strength test
Adductor strength test is done for evaluating the adductor strain in the athletes and
identify if they have any risk of groin injury. The primary objectives to conduct the adductor
strength test is that it can be used and practiced as an outcome to exhibit the improvement in
the athletes and identify the weak adductor muscles that will enhance the high risk of groin
injuries (Ryan et al., 2019). Hence, it is evident that the adductor strength test is conducted to
assess the power of adductor muscles by using a powerful bilateral isometric reduction of the
adductor muscles on pressure cuff present in the sphygmomanometer, which is pre-bloated to
10mmHg. Hip flexion is kept at a 45 degree angle, which is considered as the standard
position for measuring the adductor strength test. The test performed for the athlete was at 0
degree instead of the standard 45 degree. It is also noted that, the test performed at the
standard 45 degree of hip flexion will help the physiotherapist to provide appropriate
adductor muscle activity and force that will be beneficial for the patient performing adductor
strength test (Light & Thorborg, 2016).
Anaerobic capacity Test
Anaerobic capacity test is the test performed for measuring the fitness level of the
athlete. It measures the total quantity of the energy obtained from the complete anaerobic
energy system (without oxygen), which is combined or total quantity of the output for
phosphocreatine, lactic acid systems and ATP. This test is performed for the athletes who are
stressed for a short-duration of time and high intensity of activities performed during that
particular span of time. There are different types of anaerobic capacity test namely Wingate
anaerobic test and Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (Savoie et al., 2015). The anaerobic
capacity test is expressed in the form of W/kg and calculated by follow the standard equation:

8ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
Force (amount of resistance added to the flywheel in kilograms) x total distance (number of
revolutions x distance per revolution) / time in minutes.
The athlete had failed in this test because he was not able to reach the line within 2
consecutive attempts and therefore, it exhibited that he had reduced amount of energy in his
body and was highly stressed, which was considered as the major factor resulting for failed
attempt of this test (Milioni et al., 2017).
VO2max test
This test is also known as the maximal oxygen uptake test that is considered as the
test for measurement to identify the maximum quantity of oxygen that an individual can
utilise while extensive exercise procedure. It is considered as one of the most common type
of measurement for establishing an aerobic endurance within the athlete before taking part in
their training and therefore will determine the cardiovascular fitness of the athlete as well as
the performance capacity. This test is measured by using millilitres of oxygen consumed in
one minute per kilogram of the body weight (mL/kg/min) (Faulkner et al., 2015). This test is
grounded on the evidence that more amount of oxygen consumed by the athlete during their
exercise, the extra amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy is generated within the
cells of the athlete. ATP is mostly denoted as the "molecular unit of currency" of the
intracellular energy, and must not be tangled with lactate threshold (LT) test that point of
high-power exercise in the athlete that result in accumulation of lactate within the muscles at
a much faster rate. The athlete had failed in this test because he had voluntary exhaustion and
he could take up adequate amount of oxygen that will be utilised in performing his extensive
exercise (Hogg, Hopker & Mauger, 2015). This lack in adequate uptake of oxygen had
resulted in voluntary exhaustion in the patient and therefore the patient had failed in this test.

9ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
Proposed Training Programme
From the assessment of the current individual, it is reported that the individual has
problem in performing the job in a proper manner and he only can perform the job of a
referee for approximately 45 to 90 mins/ week. So, it for improving the performance of the
individual jogging exercises, strength, core stability and injury prevention exercises can be
recommended. Along with this, running exercises followed by the jogging will also help in
improvement of the muscle strengths and flexibility of the individuals. For improving the
running capacity of the individual, agility training can be recommended and this includes
sharp sprints along with the changing directions of individuals. Thus, this training will help in
accelerating the speed of the individual during running. For improving cardiovascular
intensity of the referee, jogging, running, bicycle ergometer training can be recommended
(Haugen et al., 2014).
Rationale
As per the case study of the referee it can be reported that, the referee is facing
problems during prolonged running and long duration running during the soccer play. Hence,
thepropose training session for the referee will help in the performance improvement and in
the prevention of the injury of the individual. According to the study of Rønnestad and
Mujika (2014), the low intensity long duration exercises such as jogging, bicycle ergometer
will help to enhance the energy and stamina of individual and also help to reduce the resting
heart rate of the individual as well. Therefore, a low resting heart rate of the individual will
also help in controlling the maximum heart rate of the individual during the exercises. For
example, it can be said that, an individual with the maximum heart rate of 160 will reach to
his maximum heart rate more quickly if he or she has a higher resting heart rate. On the
contrary, it will take more time to reach the maximum heart rate if the individual has low
resting heart rate than a sedentary people during the performance of the exercise. Therefore, it

10ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
is quite evident that, if the individual has a lower resting heart rate by practicing aerobic
exercises during the training sessions, it will help them in performing in a better manner
during the soccer game,. Hence, recommendation of the low intensity long duration exercises
will be very helpful for the performance improvement of the referee. Moreover, it is reported
that, the referee is engaged in a running process during the game and so the flexibility and
strengths of the muscles are very crucial. So the strength and core stability exercise will help
to improve the muscle strengths and flexibility of the thigh muscles and calf muscles.
According to the study of Gentil, Soares and Bottaro (2015), it is reported that use of leg
press exercises promotes the muscle hypertrophy and simultaneously enhance single joint
mobility as well. In this study, it is reported that, leg press training is capable of improving
the single joint mobility among the individuals and so it can be stated that it will help in the
improvement of the muscle strengths and flexibility of the referee. On the other hand, the
study of Schoenfeld et al. (2015), reported the effectiveness of high intensity vs low intensity
training. During each session, subjects in both teams performed 3 sets of 7 different
exercises. Training was executed 3 times per week on non-consecutive days, for a total of 8
weeks. Improvement in the back squat strengths were higher among the HL exercise groups
while comparing with the low intensity groups. So, it can be recommended for the referee as
a part of the training programme as it will help to achieve the short term goal that is to
improve the cardiovascular intensity and to gain the long term goal that is reduced injury rate
among the referees. All the training programs must be applied in an incremental manner as
well.

11ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONING FOR PERFORMANCE
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