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Referee training session: the pyramid run

This week I completed my first full training session after my broken ankle. One day later: no ankle pain, only sore legs. It feels great.

Sharing this happy news on Facebook I got asked what kind of training session I did. That triggered me, because how referees train in other train, could be interesting for everyone in the refereeing community. Please let me know what your training sessions look like.

Mine started with a warm-up session: some easy running around the football pitch for about 15 mintues. Then the heavy task began. As the trainer says: “Competition starts again next weekend. This excercise will let you know how good your physical condition and endurance is. It will show you if you’re ready for the second part of the season.”

Then we began with the so-called pyramid run. We – around twenty referees present – started on the baseline (see red line in picture added below). The trainer has placed pilons each ten metres over a distance of hundred metres. The idea: sprinting to the 1st pilon, endurance back. Endurance to second, endurance back. Sprinting to the third and other uneven pilons, endurance back. Even pilons endurance both ways to recover from the sprint.

When we reached pilon ten in endurance mode, we did the same again starting at ten now with sprinting, nine endurance, eight and all other even ones sprinting, etc.

referee-training-session-pyramid-run
Referee training session: pyramid run. Photo: Paul Flannery (Creative Commons)

It was a very heavy one, I can assure you. After the pyramid run we needed to do six 30 meter sprints, with a short period of rest between them. Then cooling down and a nice and hot shower. Luckily my ankle was doing great during this referee training session. What a feeling to be back on the football field again.

Please share your ideal training session? Does your RA have material on it’s website? Please send me some links.

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