FIFA fitness test

[Dewey1]

I know this is not about basketball officals but there as been discussion on this board about FIBA offical fitness testing. I found this article about soccer officals interesting. I wonder how many people in our local associations would be removed from playoff consideration if a test was required?

I also think it is interesting that they chose groups of officals from the same country or who speak the same language. I know that when talking with a number of officals who have worked major international tournaments that communication between partners never might players, coaches and scores is near impossible at times due to language differences. I wonder if FIBA will follow the trend?

Fitness test whittles down list of referees
8 June 2005
by FIFA
Thirteen of the 48 referees and assistant referees selected for the FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands 2005 - all of whom feature on the list of candidates for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ - have been ordered to return home from the event before it has even kicked off.
The decision was taken following a fitness test to evaluate speed and endurance on Tuesday. While the overall results were better than those recorded during a workshop for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ candidates in Frankfurt in February, the test proved too stringent for five of the match officials taking part.

As previously announced (cf. media release no.2, dated 3 June), the FIFA Referees' Committee selected trios of match officials who come from the same country or share the same language. In one of the steps FIFA has taken to significantly improve refereeing standards, instructions issued to the referees prior to the competition made it clear that entire trios would be forced out of the competition if any one of the three failed the fitness test.

The following trios will therefore not officiate at the FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands 2005:
* Referee Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia) and Assistant Referees Mohamad Rodzali Yacob (Malaysia)/Mohamed Saeed (Maldives) * Referee Modou Sowe (Gambia) and Assistant Referees Dramane Dante (Mali)/Mamadou Ndoye (Senegal) * Referee Marco Antonio Rodriguez Moreno (Mexico) and Assistant Referees Hector Delgadillo (Mexico)/Leonel Leal (Costa Rica) * Referee Eric Poulat (France) and Assistant Referees Nelly Viennot (France)/Lionel Dagorne(France)

Referee Kyros Vassaras, who was due to serve as a fourth official in the Netherlands, will not take part in the competition due to injury.

Replacements for the above match officials, selected from the same confederations, will be confirmed in due course.

This development affects the referees' candidatures for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ as follows: * Having fallen short of requirements in Frankfurt in February, this is the second time that referee Modou Sowe (Gambia) has failed the test and he is therefore dropped from the list of candidates to officiate in next year's tournament.
* The other trios remain on the shortlist for the time being, but the assistant referees who failed yesterday's fitness test will have to be replaced. These trios will be given a second and final chance at the FIFA U-17 World Championship Peru 2005.

[TravelinMan]

Dewey, in NY and probably other states there is a floor test that you must pass in order to do HS varsity games. Hustle and the correct amount of speed (especially at Lead) is required in addition to presence, feel for the game, communication, proper floor coverage, mechanics, rules knowledge, hand signals etc.

So yes there is a test. And as I always say when asked if I am fast - "I'm fast enough".

[Mark Padgett]

I'm sorry. I couldn't read your post because I don't speak french. (notice no caps)

[Nevadaref]

Physical fitness is far more important for soccer refs than basketball.

While I'm not saying that it is not needed in basketball, it is obviously a different type of movement. More quick bursts over short distances and many stoppages of play are the norm for basketball, while soccer requires a much greater level of endurance. Plus you have to throw in the outdoor weather conditions.

FIFA is not messing around anymore when it comes to match fitness. They were rather embarrassed by the Chinese female who had to pull out of the Women's Olympic final in Athens prior to the extra time periods due to heat exhaustion.

There is an additional requirement that FIFA refs be not older than 45 for international competitions.

The teams of refs from the same country or region started with the 2004 European Championship. I thought then that it was a good idea. I'm not sure if this concept is being used in the qualifiers for the WC. I went to Salt Lake for the US v. Costa Rica match last Saturday and the officials were from four different countries (although they are all part of the CONCACAF region and certainly all speak Spanish).

Referee: Carlos Batres (GUA)
1st Asst.: Hector Vergara (CAN)
2nd Asst.: Jose Diaz Ramirez (MEX)
Fourth Official: Roberto Salazar (PAN)

However, for the US v. Panama match played tonight all four were Canadians:

Referee: Mauricio Navarro (CAN)
1st Asst.: Simon Fearn (CAN)
2nd Asst.: Zoran Kristo (CAN)
Fourth Official: Silvio Petrescu (CAN)


[Edited by Nevadaref on Jun 9th, 2005 at 06:15 AM]

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by Nevadaref
Physical fitness is far more important for soccer refs than basketball.

While I'm not saying that it is not needed in basketball, it is obviously a different type of movement. More quick bursts over short distances and many stoppages of play are the norm for basketball, while soccer requires a much greater level of endurance. Plus you have to throw in the outdoor weather conditions.

FIFA is not messing around anymore when it comes to match fitness. They were rather embarrassed by the Chinese female who had to pull out of the Women's Olympic final in Athens prior to the extra time periods due to heat exhaustion.

There is an additional requirement that FIFA refs be not older than 45 for international competitions.

The teams of refs from the same country or region started with the 2004 European Championship. I thought then that it was a good idea. I'm not sure if this concept is being used in the qualifiers for the WC. I went to Salt Lake for the US v. Costa Rica match last Saturday and the officials were from four different countries (although they are all part of the CONCACAF region and certainly all speak Spanish).

Referee: Carlos Batres (GUA)
1st Asst.: Hector Vergara (CAN)
2nd Asst.: Jose Diaz Ramirez (MEX)
Fourth Official: Roberto Salazar (PAN)

However, for the US v. Panama match played tonight all four were Canadians:

Referee: Mauricio Navarro (CAN)
1st Asst.: Simon Fearn (CAN)
2nd Asst.: Zoran Kristo (CAN)
Fourth Official: Silvio Petrescu (CAN)

[M&M Guy]

JR,
Have they been messing with your meds again at Shady Hills?

I'll have to admit, Dewey1 has an interesting point about being judged "physically fit" to do a basketball game. I wonder how many of us would still be able to qualify? Notice you don't see any "pear-shaped" refs in the NBA. I wonder if there is a physical component to the ratings used, as well as judgement, demeanor, etc. I think as you move down to the lower levels, the pool of officials isn't large enough to be as picky, so I can't see there ever being a minimum number of situps and pushups to keep your license. (Like the old President's Council on Physical Fitness - is that still around?) I know plenty of great officials that would never be able to finish a 5K run, and a fair number of good-lookin' bods that don't have a clue on the subtleties of officiating.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by M&M Guy

I know plenty of great officials that would never be able to finish a 5K run, and a fair number of good-lookin' bods that don't have a clue on the subtleties of officiating.

Well, M.....can I call you M, for short?

Or should I call you Chuck if I wanna do that?

Anyway........

Great point. I don't think that you can equate physical fitness as being the most important part of what makes up a great official. And you certainly can't equate the appearance of being physically fit as being a big part of it either. I've seen too many great officials that were, to put it charitably, sloooooooow. And there's plenty of great officials around that are, to put it politely, bad-bodied. Hell, look at Dick Bavetta. He looks like he died last week and someone forgot to plant him. What the good ones do have is the ability to get themselves into the best possible position that they possibly can to SEE the play, and then also have the knowledge and judgement to make the RIGHT call. I see trails in NCAA and NBA games getting beat up the court all the time on fast breaks when the ball quickly shifted the other way. The good ones know how to get in the best position possible- not the best possible position- that will enable them to still make the right call.

Of course, you do have to take into account that the writer of the above possesses a body that passed it's "best by..." date years ago.

[26 Year Gap]

Many years ago, when I was on a board in Maine, there was one guy who had a belly like Sarge in Sad Sack. They kept him off the floor until he got into better shape. I moved away so I don't know if he ever got into shape. I suspect not.

[M&M Guy]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
Well, M.....can I call you M, for short?

Or should I call you Chuck if I wanna do that?

If it's ok with Chuck, you can call me anything you want.

[M&M Guy]

Originally posted by 26 Year Gap
Many years ago, when I was on a board in Maine, there was one guy who had a belly like Sarge in Sad Sack. They kept him off the floor until he got into better shape. I moved away so I don't know if he ever got into shape. I suspect not.

To me that's interesting that an association or board could do that. I wonder if he wasn't that strong of an official as well, and the board used that as a reason. I can't see an association sidelining a better official only on looks.

[Camron Rust]

Originally posted by M&M Guy

To me that's interesting that an association or board could do that. I wonder if he wasn't that strong of an official as well, and the board used that as a reason. I can't see an association sidelining a better official only on looks.

With that huge of a stomach, I'd imagine that he'd not get up and down the floor very well. If someone can't keep up with the game perhaps they should give it up.

[ChuckElias]

Yes, there are good officials who are slow. But it's not just about "keeping up", although I think that's important. An official who is not physically fit is going to get physically tired more quickly. It's a pretty well-established fact that physical fatigue corresponds to mental fatigue. If an official tires quickly, s/he will not have the same level of judgment as an official who is physically fit.

If you want to stay mentally sharp deeper into your games, get yourself physically fit as well.

[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by M&M Guy
Notice you don't see any "pear-shaped" refs in the NBA. I wonder if there is a physical component to the ratings used, as well as judgement, demeanor, etc.

Yes, there is. One of the current NBA refs told me a couple of years ago that they are weighed before the season and then they are required to stay within 7 or 8 pounds of that weight all season. They also have their waists measured and must then stay within a certain limit.

I've also been told that there is a recent trend to cut down on the big muscles look that some of the NBA refs were sporting. I believe that Anthony Jordan was singled out as an example and told to take an inch or two off his biceps.
The rationale that I got was that they didn't want the refs to be confrontational with the players.

[26 Year Gap]

The guy could work up a sweat on the opening tap, so conditioning went along with the physical appearance. Out of shape meant he was also out of position because he could not keep up. Was he a good official? I was a 20 year old on the board and he did some of my HS games. My perspective on who was good and who was not was not from the same perspective that I have today.

[Goose]

Basically, don't get me started.

I agree with Chuck here, but the overlying issue is basically the NBA does not want a ref to keel over on the court from being out of shape. Anyone remember the baseball umpire a couple of years ago, who had a heart attack on the field? This opened up a whole can of worms on how fat many of the baseball umps were and what was MLB doing about it. So the NBA is probably just trying to stay out of trouble. That's not to say that lean people don't have heart attacks, but again, it's that appearance thing.

We've all seen the commercial of the 50-something guy all trim and tan diving into the pool while all the soccer moms marvel at him, yet he bellyflops. Then we are told this cholesteral level is like 850! So, Shakespear was right!

I do know of one individual that was specifically kept off the varsity rolls because he was told he was to fat. He lost a ton of weight the following year and then they told him it was something else that was keeping him off the varsity rolls. This went on for several years until he moved on the girls board where he ended up with a bunch of varsity assignments.

So, discrimination does happen becasue of looks. It's like belted or beltless pants. I know both sides of the story, but some may not move because they simply don't look the part, when in fact they are compliant, but someone else who is calling the shots thinks beltless pants "look" better.

Flashback: I wanted to stand out so I went to IAABO camp sporting a beard! Thought that would make me stand out, good or bad, but it would get me noticed. It did work too! I was selected from 40 other officials to work an allstar game at the camp. Later that night at the networking session, Frosty Francis who was the camp director and god-like at the IAABO offices, came up to me and said I did a fine job, but the beard had to go. Of course it did, but again, no where in the FED manual, nor IAABO does it say one cannot work with facial hair. But I wanted to hear it from the boss. Again, appearance counts. Whether it is fair or just is another discussion.

goose

goose