SynthesisPloS one2025
Physical demands and physiological response of soccer referees in high-level matches: A systematic review.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Time to Blow the Whistle on Mental Fatigue in Soccer Referees: A Current Opinion on the Impact of Cognitive and Physical Demands on Performance and Training Interventions.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Effects of concurrent training on speed and agility performance in soccer referees.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe match physical demands placed on soccer referees are intrinsically connected to their capacity to make accurate judgments, becoming the second most studied theme in associate soccer refereeing.
objectiveThis study aims to review the external and internal load performed by soccer referees in high-level competitions, to identify changes in these indicators over different periods as the competition progresses, and to analyze the standards for dividing speed zones and heart rate zones.
methodsWeb of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost were thoroughly searched. Grey literature sources and Google Scholar were also consulted, with a focus on analysing and comparing the physical demands of soccer referees at different phases of high-level matches.
resultsA total of 14 manuscripts were included in this review. Studies revealed that the total distance (TD) covered by referees during a full match ranged from 9 to 12 km. High-intensity running (HIR) constituted 2.0-18.7% of TD, accounting for approximately 38% of total time (TT). Referees reached 80-100% of their maximal heart rate during matches. The standards for dividing speed zones and heart rate zones varied among the selected studies. DISCUSSION: This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of referees' physical demands (e.g., TD, HIR, and HR) to offer practitioners valuable biological data for training and competition preparation. The lack of uniform criteria for dividing speed and heart rate zones limits data collection, thereby affecting the reporting of distances covered at different exercise intensities.
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Registered trials
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