Key result
Professional soccer refereeing incurs high hemodynamic stress, reaching a mean HR of ~161 bpm during decisions.
Why the study?
The study aimed to analyze hemodynamic and displacement variables during referee interventions in professional soccer matches to understand physical and cognitive demands.
Observational (n=10)
No
Soccer referees experience high hemodynamic loads during matches, with cognitive decision-making appearing to influence hemodynamic variables.
High hemodynamic load at decisions signals need for referee conditioning; leaves open effects on accuracy or long-term CV risk.
The present study aimed to analyze the hemodynamic variables and the displacement variables, the former being heart rate (meanHR), maximum heart rate (maxHR) and minimum heart rate (HRmin), and the latter being average speed (Vmed), maximum speed (Vmax), mean cadence and distance traveled during referee interventions in matches of the Brazilian national football league. 1224 observable decisions of 10 professional soccer referees from Rio de Janeiro were analyzed. Three moments were considered: the moment of decision (D0), the 15 seconds that preceded it (D15), and the period from the beginning of each step to the decision (DA). It was observed a high hemodynamic load in the moments analyzed. The meanHR in the 10 matches was 160.5±8.33, the results showed very high maxHR values, the highest value found was 222bpm. Regarding the comparison between the halves of the game: 1st half (1st) and 2nd half (2nd), the initial stage of the matches, requires more intense displacements with lower hemodynamic pressure. The results suggest that cognitive decision making influences hemodynamic variables. Apparently, in the second stage of the matches, due to the accumulation of exercise demanded in the previous stage, the referees adopted a condition of saving of energy.
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Silva et al. (2020) reported an observational. Referee interventions and decision making during matches was evaluated on Hemodynamic and displacement variables during decision moments. Professional soccer referees experienced high hemodynamic loads during decision-making moments, with a mean heart rate of 160.5 bpm and a maximum of 222 bpm across 10 matches.
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