Protocolo de condicionamento físico para árbitros de futebol

The substantial increase in the physical demands of football competitions demands adequate physical fitness from the referee to ensure that he can monitor each play on the field. The objective of this study was to design a physical conditioning protocol for male football referees. The research was based on the diagnosis of the current situation through document analysis, interviews, surveys, observation and measurement. In the case of the experiment, it had a field design and a convenience sample, reaching 44 referees from the province of Matanzas distributed in two groups (control and experimental), to which the Cooper resistance test was applied. The data were analyzed in the STATGRAPHICS PLUS software Version 5.1, with a confidence level of 95% and the Duncan multiple range test was used. The results showed statistically significant differences in the experimental group with percentage increases of 13.4% and a notable improvement in 350 meters. However, no significant differences were observed in the results of the control group (increases of 6.7% and an improvement in 175 meters), which was trained with the exercise program traditionally used with provincial referees. The results obtained demonstrate that the exercise protocol implemented allows an improvement in the aerobic capacity of soccer referees, which is in line with the demands of their preparation, from a physical point of view.