How your fitness has changed as a result of Covid-19

[Sheffields Finest]

Last year was at the New York Stadium. Was going to be the same again this year and I was going be an AR but obviously its cancelled. It's a shame because it makes alot of money for a local hospice.

The organisers team play at Hinde House and I do most of their home games (although i missed a number this year as I was on CFA appointed games as I was on the promotion scheme). Hes probably a mutual contact.

Did they ever paint the lines when you were doing games at Hinde House????

I don’t remember too many issues with lines there although it’s bloody freezing coming up and over that banking in the winter. I did ST a lot at the start of their existence and never reffed a victory, lots of valiant efforts and they are much better now but never a win! IA got a few cards too for his mouth, lovely lad off the pitch too!
Never had ARs ever from memory, I was invited on a night out one season and his dad collapsed with a suspected heart attack in the pub. Scary times watching the paramedics come and take him away.
Fitness reffing them was never an issue, you would have some laughs with the skill set on show. It was generally a battering back then!

 

[santa sangria]

Required work rate on the line tends to go up more as you go through the levels than it does in the middle. At level 4 games are often direct with lots of long balls, not that dissimilar to grass roots games just better quality players, and that can lead to a lot of running in the middle as you are constantly chasing long balls. Go up to level 3 and a much bigger percentage of teams keep the ball on the floor so the type or running you do is different, not necessarily less but less pointless chasing of hoofed balls and more ready to react fast as the killer ball is played.

That works the opposite on the line, long balls aren't usually a problem as they are inevitably headed back up the pitch by centre backs or run through to the keepers. Slow build up play is more tricky for two reasons, one that the defensive line is constantly making small movements so concentration has to be spot on. Second is on a fitness level, players are vastly fitter and faster and you will inevitably have many more fast sprints to do. Get an end to end Conference National game and you can be forever sprinting from half way line to penalty area or goal line and that can take its toll.

I wish I had done that high level mens... what I've noticed is with the best youth teams that are incredibly well drilled, when they a play line and the defence are are very sophisticated in how they step and back, and the lads are very quick to accelerate - it can be very physically and mentally taxing. It's like the coaches are experimenting and there's probably lots of unnecessary movement from the defence off the ball that they wouldn't bother with once in the senior teams... But all the time they are steeping up and back we can't slack off of course... and the acceleration of 17-20 year olds can be frightening.

 

[PP62]

That's possible. Usually, my GPS has me doing about 7km on a line, but it is not extraordinary (a couple of times a season) for me to hit 10. Come to think of it, that may include warm-up too.

And that's another thing; 10-7=3km. It's a warm up not a work out. I never understand why some referees absolutely bust a gut in the warm up.

 

[es1]

And that's another thing; 10-7=3km. It's a warm up not a work out. I never understand why some referees absolutely bust a gut in the warm up.

oh man, reminds me of an early season game on a hot day up at Marske. They were short of 3s so a 4 was in the middle, most intense warm up of my life. the other AR had his heart rate monitor on, peak heart rate was during the warm up. I was absolutely done.

 

[Big Cat]

oh man, reminds me of an early season game on a hot day up at Marske. They were short of 3s so a 4 was in the middle, most intense warm up of my life. the other AR had his heart rate monitor on, peak heart rate was during the warm up. I was absolutely done.

Even in my short career, I've seen the extremes of pre-match warm-ups
Personally, the warm-up serves only to give the 'right' impression

I'm yet to find running the line physically demanding. No matter how 4 miles is divided into 90 minutes, I fail to see how it will ever be hardcore
Except that at 45, it's asking a lot to keep pace with sprinting whipper-snappers, albeit enjoyable chasing their tails!

 

[santa sangria]

Even in my short career, I've seen the extremes of pre-match warm-ups
Personally, the warm-up serves only to give the 'right' impression

I'm yet to find running the line physically demanding. No matter how 4 miles is divided into 90 minutes, I fail to see how it will ever be hardcore
Except that at 45, it's asking a lot to keep pace with sprinting whipper-snappers, albeit enjoyable chasing their tails!

Too much warming up obvs not good.
But, if I don't warm up, and then go from zero to full force sprinting after 18 year olds, I am almost certain to pull something.
But then I am a finely tuned machine, if a little highly strung!

 

[Mr Dean]

Perhaps, it's time for referees on swegways to be a thing. Might be able to coax @Sheffields Finest out of retirement

 

[Sheffields Finest]

Perhaps, it's time for referees on swegways to be a thing. Might be able to coax @Sheffields Finest out of retirement

On balance I can’t really see that happening!
I’ll leave to the young pups. I may wheel my zimmer out for a charity game one day but that’s it. A whole generation of Neanderthals rejoiced when I hung up my whistle!

 

[PP62]

Too much warming up obvs not good.
But, if I don't warm up, and then go from zero to full force sprinting after 18 year olds, I am almost certain to pull something.
But then I am a finely tuned machine, if a little highly strung!

Correct. I always do some form of warm up, running and stretching but don't over do it. At 58 I don't even bother trying to keep up with anyone, let alone 18 year olds!

 

[RefIADad]

Regarding the assistant vs referee debate, I usually find that I feel more "beat up" following a game that I AR, even though I generally run 3.5 miles or so in a game compared to somewhere around 6 miles as a center (and I use one of those GPS trackers you wear between your shoulders, so I think the numbers are pretty accurate).

Regarding the original post, I've first made it a priority to try to be a LOT more active. I'm a social person by nature, so working from home takes me away from being around people besides my family. I make up for that by trying to be more active in this time period, which reduces my stress from being at home and dealing with the kids, trying to get my own job done, etc. I am doing a 20-30 minute bodyweight workout four times a week. Day 1 is a HIIT workout (first two weeks were 20 on/40 off, this week starts 30 on/30 off), Day 2 is a circuit workout, and days 3-4 are as many reps as possible (AMRAP) sets of 3 x 6 minutes with 2 minutes rest. I try to do these in the morning before work to give myself a good start to the day. I am trying to stay on a four-day cycle of running where Day 1 is a sprint/speed workout, Day 2 is a high-intensity run (normally about 30 minutes total), and Day 3 is a longer aerobic run (either 3 x 14 minutes or 4 x 12 minutes with 2-minutes between each rep). Day 4 is a rest day, then I start the cycle over again. I also have been going on longer walks with my wife, but I consider those more as time spent with her than I do a workout (even though she walks really fast by nature, so we do go at a pretty good clip!). I normally try to run either at lunch or at the end of the day to get moving since I don't have a standing desk like I do at my office.

 

[chackchok111]

I've started training at home. I am a lucky person as I have a big garage and I reorganized some square meters to a home gym where I can train whenever I want. I have already bought Battle Ropes. I have chosen Power Guidance. Very good thing for your core.



Also, I've bought a barbell, squat rack, bench press bench. 5 pairs of dumbbells of different weights. And I'm planning to put on an exercise bike for cardio workouts.

 

[ASM]