The Ref Stop

Fitness improvement

reisspeel

reisspeel

New Member
Level 7 Referee
Hi all,

Currently at the worst fitness level i've ever been. I do Saturday afternoon/Sunday morning games but do very little in the week due to work and family.
I can easily cover 7-9kms a game, keep up with play pretty well but do catch myself breathing heavy a few times per game and occasionally begging for a break in play/half time.
I've changed my eating habits so hopefully that'll help shift some of the weight and make it a bit easier to get around but obviously some additional cardio will definitely be needed.
Currently L7 on pathway to L6 but hoping to possibly do most if not all requirements to so 7-6/6-5 this season, and will be straight onto 5-4 next season.
Could someone explain the 5-4 fitness tests/requirements so I can recreate to see where I currently am and also provide so tips/tricks/cardio plans to help improve over the next 12 months or so.
TIA
 
The Ref Stop
reisspeel said:
but do catch myself breathing heavy a few times per game and occasionally begging for a break in play/half time
Click to expand...
😀 😀 😀 :drool::drool::drool:😅😅😅
Aye been there about 100 times a season!

Unless you have a running track nearby, I just practice down the side of any football pitch
County Pitches will be 100 yards log. Just take 20 paces (yards) (which equates to ~ 75m) off the length and do 17s runs with 23s rests
The 40s intervals are therefore easy to track on the watch as you just have to keep a check that you're pacing the shuttles OK and be ready to go again every time 40s elapses. The pitches will be soft now, so it's gonna be more difficult at this time of year. You might want to do 20 repeats to start with and work your way up to 40 repeats. Unless you're really quite slow, the sprints shouldn't be too much to worry about as the failure rate is a touch less than 10% according to the FA

I'm 50 and no lightweight, so if I can pass fairly comfortably, the fitness test should be achievable. But you really ought to aim a bit higher than just passing the test. You should also work up to the 2600m in 12 minute Cooper Test. I find this test much more difficult but not everyone agrees. Don't be shocked if you fall short of this distance as it can take many many weeks (or months!) to get your head round it
2700m is the gold standard for reffing imho
 
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I've heavily worked on HIIT training twice a week over the past 12 months alongside my usual 5k (which I'll do once or twice a week, depending on schedule)

Doing a short 15-20 minute -1 session working on Speed / Agility has also helped as I feel ready then on a Saturday and I'm not blowing come the 70th minute.

Having a solid warm up is also so critical both for midweek sessions and pre-game.
 
Big Cat said:
😀 😀 😀 :drool::drool::drool:😅😅😅
Aye been there about 100 times a season!

Unless you have a running track nearby, I just practice down the side of any football pitch
County Pitches will be 100 yards log. Just take 20 paces (yards) (which equates to ~ 75m) off the length and do 17s runs with 23s rests
The 40s intervals are therefore easy to track on the watch as you just have to keep a check that you're pacing the shuttles OK and be ready to go again every time 40s elapses. The pitches will be soft now, so it's gonna be more difficult at this time of year. You might want to do 20 repeats to start with and work your way up to 40 repeats. Unless you're really quite slow, the sprints shouldn't be too much to worry about as the failure rate is a touch less than 10% according to the FA

I'm 50 and no lightweight, so if I can pass fairly comfortably, the fitness test should be achievable. But you really ought to aim a bit higher than just passing the test. You should also work up to the 2600m in 12 minute Cooper Test. I find this test much more difficult but not everyone agrees. Don't be shocked if you fall short of this distance as it can take many many weeks (or months!) to get your head round it
2700m is the gold standard for reffing imho
Click to expand...
My last half marathon was at 3100 cooper run pace but for 81 minutes. 😏 I'm well aware nobody gives a sh*t and nobody likes a show off, but if I don't get to say these things out loud sometimes then I'll lose my motivation 😆

Thanks. - as you were...

Edit to add: I DO still worry about the sprint times and find it hard to motivate myself to work on them, so it's not all about stamina!
 
RefereeX said:
My last half marathon was at 3100 cooper run pace but for 81 minutes. 😏 I'm well aware nobody gives a sh*t and nobody likes a show off, but if I don't get to say these things out loud sometimes then I'll lose my motivation 😆

Thanks. - as you were...

Edit to add: I DO still worry about the sprint times and find it hard to motivate myself to work on them, so it's not all about stamina!
Click to expand...
I did the sprints in 5.8 so you'll p1ss them

Your VO2max just gives you one less thing to worry about during games. The rest of us will make mistakes due to brain oxygen/glucose issues
That's one of the things spectators fail to appreciate, although many of them may have alcohol related brain deficit instead
 
Big Cat said:
I did the sprints in 5.8 so you'll p1ss them
Click to expand...
Last seasons core retention we did the fitness test on 4g. Requirement was 4 sprints from 5 attempts in 6.1s or less. I had to re-run 1 after a failure and I still only scraped my fifth one in a time of 6.09
3 days later, with legs still sore from the 4g which my body doesn't get on with, I had a higher level fitness test requiring 6 sprints in 5.8 secs or less from 7 attempts (IIRC). I passed all 6 first time, but that was on a running track.
So in summary, sprints on 4G petrify me... on a running tack I'm relatively comfortable.
 
RefereeX said:
Last seasons core retention we did the fitness test on 4g. Requirement was 4 sprints from 5 attempts in 6.1s or less. I had to re-run 1 after a failure and I still only scraped my fifth one in a time of 6.09
3 days later, with legs still sore from the 4g which my body doesn't get on with, I had a higher level fitness test requiring 6 sprints in 5.8 secs or less from 7 attempts (IIRC). I passed all 6 first time, but that was on a running track.
So in summary, sprints on 4G petrify me... on a running tack I'm relatively comfortable.
Click to expand...
I've picked up two niggles this season. Both on 4G
Knee tweak a few months back which affected my confidence in games for a good few weeks
Then Saturday, I needed physio treatment for a calf twinge at Biggleswade. I finished the game but have come off games for a few weeks
Hate the surface
 
Big Cat said:
I've picked up two niggles this season. Both on 4G
Knee tweak a few months back which affected my confidence in games for a good few weeks
Then Saturday, I needed physio treatment for a calf twinge at Biggleswade. I finished the game but have come off games for a few weeks
Hate the surface
Click to expand...
It’s a dilemma - good for the financial security of clubs, but not so good for players and officials, not even for fitness tests. The best surface has to be a tartan athletics track for training and taking the actual test, though not everyone including the leagues themselves have access to one, albeit on the dates required etc.
 
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