| STAYING FREE OF INJURY |
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Training must be thought of principally in terms of prevention of injury.
Fact – Lack of fitness is one of the prime causes of injury.
The amount of time spent on training depends on the level at which you referee, and the state of your physical condition. If you begin pre-season training ten pounds overweight or in a ‘flabby’ condition you will require a longer and more intensive programme than a colleague who is already in a reasonably good state of fitness.
Warning – The most dangerous period is the first few weeks of the season.
Reasons for this include:
A referee is hardly ever injured by a player and any condition
caused by direct contact would be sheer bad luck. You are most likely to suffer muscular
injuries involving muscle pulls or ruptures. The muscles most likely to be affected are
the muscles of the thigh and lower leg as well as the Achilles tendon. Fact - Poor abdominal and back strength is a major cause of back
injury. You need to work regularly (at least 3-4 times per week) on
developing your abdominal and lower back strength and conditioning, and should include
exercises for this purpose whenever you train, or on the floor at home on a non training
day. There are lots of different exercises designed to strengthen the
trunk muscles. Here are a few of the more common exercises. Advice – Try to perform at least 12 repetitions of each
exercise. As you become stronger perform up to 25 repetitions and repeat up to 3 times. Breath freely throughout each repetition. BUILD
UP THE WORKLOAD SLOWLY
Take Me
to the top of this page Lie on your back with your knees bent to 90 degrees and feet flat on the
floor (not held). Slowly curl the shoulders off the ground and then sit up, directing
your elbows towards the hips. Pause at the top position and squeeze the abdominals. Slowly return
the shoulders to the floor after each sit-up. Take Me to the top
of this page (ii) SIT-UPS WITH A TWIST Lie on your back with your knees bent to 90 degrees and feet
flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and sit up to touch your right
elbow to your left knee and vice versa. Take Me to the top
of this page Lying on your front, hands linked behind your back. Raise your trunk off the
ground to arch your back whilst keeping your hips on the floor. Hold for the count of 10.
Return to the starting position. Lying face down, raise your left arm and your right leg at the same time.
Pause at the top and then lower under control. Repeat with the opposite side. Take Me to the top
of this page Regular stretching and strengthening of your muscles will help
prevent those niggling injuries that so often detract from your performance,
psychologically and physically. TRAINING GUIDELINES
Take Me to the top of this page Follow these simple Training Guidelines to improve your fitness and
remain free from injury. 1. Don’t work too hard too soon. Improvements in fitness Take
time. If you rush your progression you may injure yourself. The primary objective is that
you stay injury free, so don’t over-train. 2. Try to vary your training so you alternate hard and easy days. 3. All sessions should start and finish with a warm up/down followed
by stretching. 4. Always train within your training zone (i.e. 70% - 90% of maximum
heart rate). 5. Do not train if your are ill. 6. If your are injured, try and substitute training for activities
such as cycling or swimming to help you maintain your fitness. 7. Invest in decent clothing and footwear. It is important to wear
good shoes especially when training on hard surfaces. 8. Don’t jog in fog. 9. If you go jogging in the dark always wear light coloured clothing
so you can be seen easily. Better still, wear a reflective jacket. 10. Don’t eat, drink caffeine or use tobacco products within 2
hours of a game or a training session. 11. Regularly consume water before, during and after training and
matches. Source of information: 'A Guide to Fitness for
Referees' April 2001, produced by the Football Association England. Acknowledgement to the
National Co-ordinator for Fitness Training, Vernon Crew; along with expert advice from
John Brewer, Director of the Lilleshall Sports Injury and Human Performance Centre; Alan
Hodson, Director of the Football Association Medical Education Centre; and Rob Hartley,
Head of the Sports Science Department, University of Brighton.
(i) TRUNK CURLS
(iii) BACK EXTENSIONS
(iv) ‘SUPERHEROES’
