RefereeWriter “Fitness” category:
...is a section that explains the physical demands on referees
who are required to actively move efficiently back and forth within the playing
confines.
The informative scholarly
article by Vuckovic and Dezman (2001), “Results of Tracking a Referee’s
Movements during a Basketball Match with Computer Sight,” provides statistical data about the specific task
of physical effort during basketball competition.
The data, called “loading,” is defined as total physical effort exerted
by a referee in the course of any given sporting competition.
Research-based studies have recorded factual outcomes
such as distances, speeds, and match length to inform referees of the physical
load they should expect as a precursor to planning a fitness regimen.
An assessment of
physical demands on referees by Vuckovic and Dezman) shows that, in one half of play:
"… the referee walked and ran a
distance of 3,225
meters in 35 minutes” and that, the entire match
lasted 1 hour 34 minutes.
60% was
walking, 27% was slow running, 11.5% was fast running, and 2.5% was
sprinting, while traversing the distance.
This data
shows how much effort one can expect to exert and how much fitness is required
for a typical basketball official.
