A Systematic Review of the Physical, Physiological, Nutritional and Anthropometric Profiles of Soccer Referees

Abstract

Background The importance of soccer referees is widely accepted by international soccer organizations and governing bodies, although there is little research summarizing and appraising the literature on soccer referees. The aim of this study was to systematically review the information related to physical demands, nutrition and physiological profiling of soccer referees. Methods Conforming with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, searches of three electronic databases (Web of Sciences, PubMed and Scopus) were conducted on 24 April 2022. The following search terms were used: (Soccer OR football AND refer*) AND (physical OR physiolo* OR load* OR “body composition” OR “fat mass” OR “fat free mass” OR “body size” OR “nutrition*” OR “nutritional assessment” OR “nutritional intake” OR “macronutrient*” OR “micronutrient*”). The inclusion criteria of the manuscripts written in English were that articles with male and/or female soccer referees and included relevant data concerning performance, physical testing, nutrition, body composition, body size and/or physiology of soccer referees. The tools developed by the National Institute of Health were used to assess risk of bias according to the study design. Results In total, 110 manuscripts were included in the present review. Match activities of soccer referees and assistant referees are not comparable. Variation in performance is influenced by competitive level and competitive schedules. Additionally, match performance is often used to validate field protocols. The associations between match indicators and field protocols were not constant across the included studies, particularly in short-maximal tests. An age decline in physical performance was not conclusive. Body size did not discriminate between referees and assistant referees, as well as referees of different competitive levels. Few studies focused on nutritional guidelines among referees, particularly exercise energy expenditure. Energy intake was comparable across studies, but referees did not follow the daily dietary recommendations. Aerobic output was frequently assessed, and it was not comparable to the values for soccer players. Conclusions Although there are decreases in the running profiles of older referees, they maintain the same distances from the ball, and thus, age per se should not be used to define participation at the international level. The assessment of physical fitness warrants future consideration given the levels of fatigue that are apparent at the end of matches. In order to attain ideal levels of body composition, future studies need to provide guidelines for daily energy expenditure and nutritional intake. Trial registration: The protocol was published in INPLASY (International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) with the registration number 202280052 and https://doi.org/10.37766/inplasy2022.8.005.

Physical and Physiological Demands of Amateur Portuguese Field and Assistant Football Referees

“…Main referees and assistant referees play pivotal roles in football matches and are responsible for interpreting and judging various occurrences on the field. Like players, referees must have adequate levels of physical fitness to effectively fulfil their duties during the game [1][2][3][4]. Previous studies [4][5][6] have examined the development of physical capacities and their impact on the performance of football referees, indicating that higher levels of cardiorespiratory capacity lead to improved referee performance.…”

“…A recent systematic review has found that factors such as age are not good discriminators of performance for referees [4], as older referees kept the same distance to the ball despite covering a shorter distance. Experience may play an important role in making older referees more efficient in their movement, eventually compensating for fewer intense actions and a shorter distance covered with better positioning.…”

Absence of Monotony and Strain Effects on Referees’ Physical Performance During International Basketball Federation World Cup Basketball Competition

“…1 In order to maintain the standard of the competition, it is imperative that referees consistently maintain their physical fitness and enhance their psychological and technical-tactical proficiencies. 2 Moreover, in various sports, 3 including basketball, the judgment of the referee is impacted by the ideal position, which is ascertained through physical motion on the court. 4 The physical performance of basketball referees has garnered scientific interest as a means to enhance the overall quality of the basketball game.…”