US referees kick it up a notch: Fitness increased to FIFA standards (Part 1)

Photo: AP

There is a shortage of highly qualified MLS and WPS referees in the US, but MLS and the US Soccer Federation are working to bring up more through the ranks and improve the quality. Recently, the Federation increased US referees fitness requirements to worldwide FIFA standards, required inspectors to re-test annually, and is making other changes.

Out of 158,000 registered US referees, about 250 are classified as national referees and cover WPS, USL, PDL, and US Academy League and of those referees, only 20-22 are qualified to work in MLS. There are only six men and three women (and two men for futsal) qualified to referee top level class A international matches sponsored by CONCACAF or FIFA.

Approximately 30 match inspectors supervise each four-person referee team at MLS and WPS matches, and the Federation recently increased their testing as well. (To learn about referee team procedures and MLS directives to referees, read MLS Growth Challenges Referees on US Soccer Players.)

Last year, seven teams played in the inaugural WPS season and provided a new challenge to the referee pool, although MLS referees do not work in WPS. In the 2010 season, WPS adds two expansion teams, the Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence, and MLS adds the Philadelphia Union as the sixteenth franchise, squeezing the pool even more.

Where are the referees going to come from? There are only four full-time MLS referees and the rest perform as a side job or passionate hobby, using vacation time or personal days from their regular jobs. Compensation for officials refereeing the men's game is relatively low and much lower for those refereeing the women's game [to be addressed later in this story].

Two games a week is considered maximum, as each game also includes two days of to-and-from travel, game preparation and debriefing. But with only 20-22 referees circulating in the league, familiarity with teams contributes to some of the problems for which referees are loudly criticized. In 2009, coaches were disciplined for publicly criticizing referees, media criticism was fierce, and fan criticism borderline dangerous.

Referee issues and game-changing decisions are common overseas as well. The Liverpool beach ball incident, when a referee allowed a goal after a toy interfered with play, and Thierry Henri’s double handball that likely cheated Ireland out of the World Cup, certainly brought the global nature of referee issues to light. Recent match fixing revelations add another dimension. Video official technology has been shrugged off by FIFA as interfering with the flow of the game and removing the human element. Italy’s head referee Pierluigi Collina recently spoke against the technology saying, “The only solution is a cultural development that leads to the acceptance of human errors.”

While Collina’s statement certainly bears merit, Paul Tamberino and Brian Hall at the US Soccer Federation are tasked with improving the ranks in conjunction with MLS.

For 2010, the US fitness standards have been increased to the FIFA standard. Keeping a professional referee badge will be tougher this year than last. And last year it wasn't easy. Two referees, Michael Kennedy and Abby Okulaja, failed the mid-season fitness test and were removed for the rest of the season.

Yesterday, US Soccer Federation Referee Inspector Angelo Bratsis explained to me what raising the US professional referee fitness requirements to comply with FIFA standards means.

“The fitness requirements for a professional division referee is about the same for people that work in the professional women’s games as for those that referee in the MLS,” said Bratsis. “The referees in MLS have to meet the same standards that FIFA requires of those referees that are going to the World Cup in June. The fitness was confirmed with the referee committee - that to become a national referee at the professional level you have to meet FIFA’s fitness requirement.”

“The women said, ‘we want better referees,’” said Bratsis. “So, we’re going to train them to meet the needs of the WPS, but we’re not going to say because this is the women’s league the standards have to be lower – no way, cannot do that.”

“Everybody’s been notified that the standards are higher. I’ll give you an example,” explained Bratsis. “It was ten repetitions of the fitness test, but this year it’s twelve across the board for everybody. It’s hard, because they were having trouble making the ten repetitions.“

Although the speeds are reduced by five seconds for women’s officials, “the women’s league won’t be treated any differently,” said Bratsis. “What we’re telling the WPS referees is that if you want to referee in this league, you’re going to have to meet the same requirements as the referees in MLS. And the MLS referees, we tell them that this is the requirement that FIFA wants and if you can’t make the requirements, you can’t referee here.”

New interval testing for FIFA and professional referees of men’s games:

12 repetitions: 150 meter sprint in 30 seconds, then 50 meters walks in 35 seconds.* Twice = 400 meters. 12 repetitions of 400 meter track = 12 laps.
6 repetitions: 40 meter sprints in 6.2 seconds

* If they don’t get to the gate by  starting second 150 meter sprint within allotted time, they’ve failed the test. All ages.

New interval testing for FIFA and professional referees for women’s games:

12 repetitions: 150 meter sprint in 35 seconds, then 50 meters walk in 40 seconds.
6 repetitions: 40 meter sprints in 6.6 seconds.

Assistant Referees for men (faster sprinting because ARs must be quicker in offside and goal line situations.)

12 repetitions: 150 meters in 30 seconds, then 50 meters walk in 35 seconds.
6 repetitions: 40 meter sprint in 6 seconds.

Assistant referees for women (faster sprinting because ARs must be quicker in offside and goal line situations.)

12 repetitions: 150 meters in 35 seconds, then 50 meters walk in 45 seconds.
6 repetitions: 40 meter sprint in 6.4 seconds.

US referees kick it up a notch continued in Part 2.

More reading
US referees kick it up a notch: Fitness increased to FIFA standards (Part 1)
US referees kick it up a notch: The panel discussion with players (Part 2)
US referees kick it up a notch: Compensation (Part 3)
US referees kick it up a notch: The international element (Part 4)
US referees kick it up a notch: A new initiative (Part 5)
MLS Growth Challenges referees
Rash Tackles and Inconsistent Referees Challenge MLS
What makes a good referee? An inspector speaks

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