I always remember reading when i first started out that Referee could cover up to 6 miles during a game. Ive always wondered how accurate this is. It cant be the easiest thing to measure as you dont run in straight lines, the same distance or laps of a pitch.
However the PGMOL with the power of prozone have done just this.  Last season the Select Group officials covered 11561 Metres in a game (that’s over 7miles). This is compared to a premiership footaballer who cove rd 11593 Metres in a game.
Now over 90 minutes that’s not a massive distance as people will run a half marathon quicker than that. However lets put it in context, this isn’t straight running. There is sprinting, twisting, turning. The high intensity that comes from an end to end game where the ball wont go out of play.
The interesting stat is that last season the number of sprints made by the Referee during the game doubled on average compared to previous seasons. Im not sure what defines as a sprint, but it gives you an idea to the demands that are placed on the their fitness. It also helps you understand why the 12 minute run fitness test has been scraped in place of the new Fifa test.
