Fitness Test Details

FIFA Test 1: Repeated Sprint Ability

Procedure

1. The ‘start’ gate should be placed at 0m and the ‘finish’ gate at 40m. The ‘start line’ should be marked out 1.5m before the ‘start’ gate.

2. Referees should line up at the start with their front foot touching the ‘start line’. Once the test leader signals that the electronic timing gates are set, the referee is free to start.

3. Referees should receive a maximum of 60 seconds recovery between each of the 6 X 40m sprints. During their recovery, referees must walk back to the start.

4.  If a referee fails one trial out of the six, they should be given a seventh trial immediately after the sixth trial. If they fail two trials out of seven, the match official has failed the test.

FIFA Test 2: Interval Test

Procedure

1. Referees must complete 40 x 75m run / 25m walk intervals. This equates to 4,000m or 10 laps of a 400m athletics track. The pace is dictated by the audio file and reference times are set in accordance
   with the referee’s category.

2. Referees must start from a standing position. They must not start before the whistle.

3. At the end of each run, each referee must enter the ‘walking area’ before the whistle. The walking area is marked out with a line 1.5m before and 1.5m behind the 75m line.

4. If a referee fails to place a foot inside the walking area on time, they should receive a clear warning from the test leader. If a referee fails to place a foot inside the walking area on time for a second occasion, they should be stopped by the test leader and informed that they have failed the test.

Beep Test

Beep Fitness Test – for District and Regional Referees (Retrieved from albertasoccer.com/referee/resources)

The test involves continuous running between two lines 20m apart in time to recorded beeps. The time between recorded beeps decrease each minute (level).

There are several versions of the test, but one commonly used version has an initial running velocity of 8.5 km/hr, which increases by 0.5 km/hr each minute.

How the test is conducted:

 Measure out a 20 meter section and mark each end with a marker cone.
 The referee carries out a warm up program of jogging and stretching exercises.
 The test is conducted:

o The referee must place one foot on or beyond the 20m marker at the end of each shuttle
o If the referee arrives at the end of a shuttle before the beep, the referee must wait for the beep and then resume running.
o The referee keeps running for as long as possible until he/she can longer keep up with the speed set by the tape at which point they should voluntarily withdraw.
o If the referee fails to reach the end of the shuttle before the beep they should be allowed 2 or 3 further shuttles to attempt to regain the required pace before being withdrawn.

 Record the level and number of shuttles completed at that level by the referee.
 At the end of the test the referees conduct a warm down program, including stretching exercises.

CODA TEST

Procedure

1. Cones must be set out as illustrated in the diagram below. The distance between A and B is 2 metres. The distance between B and C is 8 metres.

2. Only one timing gate is required for the CODA (A). The ‘start line’ should be marked out 0.5m before the timing gate (A).

3. Assistant referees should line up at the start with their front foot touching the ‘start line’. Once the test leader signals that the electronic timing gates are set, the assistant referee is free to start.

4. Assistant referees sprint 10 m forward (A to C), 8 m sideways left (C to B), 8 m sideways right (B to C) and 10 m forward (C to A). This test is done one time.

5. If an assistant referee fails the trial, they should be given an additional trial. If they fail two trials, the match official has failed the test.