FIFA Fitness Test for Referees (Men): Interval test - Category 1

Category 1: 15 seconds per 75m run and 18 seconds per 25m walk
Referees must complete 40 x 75m run / 25m walk intervals. This equates to 4,000m or 10 laps of a 400m athletics track. The pace is dictated by the audio file and reference times are set in accordance with the referee’s category. If an audio file is not available, an experienced physical instructor should use a stopwatch and whistle.
2. Referees must start from a standing position. They must not start before the whistle. To ensure that referees do not start early, assistant test leaders should be positioned at each start line to control the start. A flag may be used to block the lane until the whistle has sounded. On the whistle, the flag should be dropped, allowing the referees to start running.
3. At the end of each run, each referee must enter the ‘walking area’ before the whistle. The walking area is marked out with a line 1.5m before and 1.5m behind the 75m line.
4. If a referee fails to place a foot inside the walking area on time, they should receive a clear warning from the test leader. If a referee fails to place a foot inside the walking area on time for a second occasion, they should be stopped by the test leader and informed that they have failed the test.
5. It is recommended that the test be run in groups comprising no more than six referees. It is possible to have four groups running the test simultaneously (see below), meaning a total of 24 referees can be tested at once. Each group should be allocated with a test leader who should monitor their group closely throughout the test.