THIRTY-EIGHT football referees from across Guyana will participate in the first quarterly fitness test of the year today at the National Track and Field Facility, Leonora, beginning at 15:00hrs.
This will feature three categories of referees – Tier One (Elite referees), some from Tier Two and some from Tier Three.
Tier Three referees are those potential referees who are being exposed to the fitness test as part of the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) overall referee’s technical development programme.
Head of the GFF Refereeing Department, Stanley Lancaster, explains that the test comprises the Interval, CODA (Change Of Direction, Agility) and RSA (Repeated Sprint Ability) components.
“For the Assistant Referees (AR), the test is in three different parts. The AR test deals strictly with timings. Between each, there is a period of six to eight minutes’ compulsory rest. For the Interval, each AR must cover ten laps minimum for them to pass. For the CODA and RSA, they must reach within the zone by a specified time.”
The Referee test, on the other hand, will be conducted in two parts, the RSA and the Interval. The first will consist of five (5) 40-metre sprints within a specified time with 1 ½ min rest between each sprint followed by a six-eight-minute rest period and the latter will consist of 10 laps of 40-metre sprint and 25-metres recovery period between each interval.
The successful completion of the referees’ fitness test is a compulsory element as required by FIFA for referees to effectively manage the game with their positioning and movement. This test will be complemented by in-class sessions consisting of Laws of the Game knowledge and video analysis.
As part of continuous capacity building, the Referees Department has a comprehensive national programme planned for the year including development of referees in the hinterland regions.
The first programme to be conducted will be held in Aishalton, Region Nine, and is being planned in partnership with the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs.