Heart rate of soccer referees during matches: A systematic review

Abstract

The physical demands of elite soccer players can affect the activity of the referees. During a competitive match, an elite soccer referee covers 9–13 km at 85–90% of the heart rate (HR). This systematic review aimed to scrutinize the scientific literature concerning HR values in football referees during matches. The search encompassed PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases up to April 24, 2023, alongside manual searches using specific keywords. Eligible studies included controlled observational trials involving soccer referees of various levels. Fifteen articles met the criteria, focusing on average heart rate (HRavg) and maximum heart rate (HRmax) during matches. The average HRavg among the sampled referees was 163.13 ± 8.89 bpm, with HRmax averaging 191.2 ± 7.01 bpm. HRavg ranged from 137.76 to 184.9 bpm, while HRmax ranged from 169.1 to 222 bpm. Despite variations in football competition levels, the monitored variables exhibited similar values across studies. These findings underscore the importance of HR monitoring for referee training and programming to ensure they can effectively manage the physical demands of matches at all levels of competition.