A Modified T-Test for Football Referees to Test Agility, Quickness and Sprint Performances

Abstract

The football referees perform many actions as jogging, running, sprinting, side steps and backward steps during a football match. Further, the football referees change match activities every 5-6 seconds. Many tests are being conducted to determine the physical levels and competences of football referees like 50 m running, 200 m running, 12 minutes Cooper test, 6 × 40 m etc. All of these tests include straight runnings dominantly. However, the football is not completely full of straight runnings. Quickness, turning skills and changing direction speed namely agility is the crucial for referees to maintain well positioning during match. For this reason, we have modified the classical T-Test for referees by addition side steps, quick turnings and backward steps to test agility skills and their speed. And we compared the T-Test scores with 10 meters and 30 meters sprint tests scores of 74 male referees (Ankara, Turkey) who regularly participating in trainings and regularly refereeing in matches. All referees performed 10 meters and 30 meters sprint tests twice and we recorded the best sprint times. The referees performed the T-Test one time. All three tests have shown normal distribution frequencies. Our results showed a significant corelation between all of three tests; 10 meters and 30 meters (r = 0,660; P < 0,01), 10 meters and T-Test (r= 0,226; P < 0,01), 30 meters and T-Test (r= 0,269; P < 0,01). These results showed that, T-Test scores will be usable to determine 10 meters and 30 meters sprint level of the referees and additionally, T-Test could also give information about levels of other crutial skills for referees as agility. In conclusion, our data showed that the modified T-Test for referees could be used for testing each of the running speed and agility skills of the soccer referees.