Fully-funded PhD - The acute physical, physiological, and perceptual responses to training and competition in elite referees

There is a shortage of high-quality data relating to the acute responses to training and competition in elite match officials. Consequently, recovery strategies and training organisation are often based on data derived from elite football players; tasks requiring very different physical, physiological, and cognitive demands, performed by a very different population. While an understanding of the acute physical, physiological, and perceptual responses to training and competition is vital to inform the implementation of training and recovery strategies, this information is currently lacking. As such, practitioners responsible for the recovery, preparation and physical performance of match officials would benefit from evidence-based procedures to guide and implement highly specific, effective recovery and training strategies.

This PhD programme will investigate the acute physical, physiological, and perceptual responses to training and competition in elite match officials. The findings of this work will provide information to inform recovery strategy implementation, as well as the within-microcycle training organisation of elite referees and assistant referees, raising performance standards across the profession.

Project aims and objectives

This project aims to inform recovery strategy implementation and within-week training organisation, through investigating the acute physical, physiological, and perceptual responses to training and competition in elite referees and assistant referees.

The project will do so through:

• Identifying the current recovery practices of elite referees and assistant referees.
• Describing the acute physical, physiological, and perceptual responses to training and competition.
• Identifying the contextual factors that influence the acute post-match physiological, physical, and perceptual responses.
• Helping to inform the within-microcycle organisation of training in elite match officials.