Soccer Referee Fitness Test

During elite matches, soccer referees may cover more than 6 miles of ground, often at a sprint. To make the grade, they must first pass a fitness test demonstrating their speed and stamina. The fitness test consists of a sprint and an interval test for officials wanting to work highly competitive games.

  1. Grades

    • In concordance with FIFA guidelines, the U.S. Soccer Federation groups referees in 10 different grades, each specifying the type of game they can officiate, from youth league matches to World Cup games. To qualify for the grades, candidates must meet certain criteria, such as minimum age, training and successful completion of written exams. Not every grade requires a fitness test. Those wishing to be placed in grades 3 to 7 have to demonstrate physical fitness.

    Sprint Test

    • The sprint test requires referees to run 40 meters in 6.6 seconds six consecutive times. They are allowed 90 seconds to walk back to the start line after each sprint. In preparation for takeoff, a candidate places his front foot on a line 1.5 meters away from the start position. The running time is measured with an electronic timing instrument.

    Interval Test

    • The interval test involves running 12 consecutive 300-meter laps split into two halves. After each completion of 150 meters, the referee walks 50 meters and then runs another 150 meters. Candidates have 35 seconds to finish 150 meters and 40 seconds to walk 50 meters.

    Pass or Fail

    • Completing the fitness tests without a hitch gives the referee a passing score, but a minor hiccup doesn’t automatically disqualify him from the sprint test. If he falls or trips during any of the six sprints, he gets to try again for that specific run. If he doesn’t complete one of the sprints in 6.6 seconds, he can go one more time right after the sixth run. But if he fails two sprints, then he fails the test. The interval test rules aren’t as forgiving and they exclude second chances. A referee who doesn’t complete any of the 150-meter runs in 35 seconds or one of the 50-meter walks in 40 seconds receives a fail grade.