This document outlines a fitness training program for UEFA referees over the course of a week. It includes 3 training sessions per week focused on warmups, strength training, high intensity interval training, speed endurance exercises, and match practice or other intermittent activities. The sessions are designed around heart rate zones and aim to improve referees' fitness through a variety of aerobic and anaerobic exercises over the 6 week macrocycle.

1. 2005-2006 UEFA Referee Talents’
Fitness Programme
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WEEK 28 from Monday 11th to Sunday 17th of July
Macrocycle I, week 6 (Training week 6)
Mon. 11th: REST or PASSIVE RECOVERY
Tue. 12th: * Low Int. - 5’ jogging slowly building up to 80% HRmax (+ 1 km)
Tr. 19
* Warm up - 20’ extensive warming up, mobilisation and stretching
* Strength - 4 x 20 sit-ups (straight & cross), separated by 4 x 10 push-ups
that can be done with or without knee support (10’)
* High Int. - This exercise is done in the lower range of the HI-training zone:
- 4’ running between 86 - 90% HRmax, followed by 2’ jogging,
- 4’ running between 86 - 90% HRmax, followed by 2’ jogging,
- 4’ running between 86 - 90% HRmax, followed by 2’ jogging,
- 4’ running between 86 - 90% HRmax, followed by 2’ jogging,
- All together, this exercise takes 24’.
The total distance covered in high speed is 4000 m.
* Cool down - 5’ jogging and walking, followed by 10’ extensive stretching
Total duration: 74’
Wed. 13th: REST or PASSIVE RECOVERY
Thu. 14th: * Low Int. - 5’ jogging slowly building up to 80% HRmax (+ 1 km)
Tr. 20
* Warm up - 20’ extensive warming up, mobilisation and stretching
* Strength - 4 x 20 sit-ups (straight & cross), separated by 4 x 10 push-ups
that can be done with or without knee support (10’)
* Ext. Speed - Set 1: 4 laps of the next exercise in the length of the pitch:
- Referees start on the goal line from a dynamic position (e.g., knee
lifts). Then they sprint to the 16 m box, return to the goal line
jogging backward and then they continue jogging forward to the 16
m box (1)
- From the 16 m box, referees sprint to the midline, then they return
jogging to the 16 m box and continue jogging to the midline (2)
- From the midline, referees sprint to the opposite penalty box, then
they return jogging to the midline and continue jogging to the
penalty box (3)
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W. Helsen T +32 16 32 90 68 F +32 16 32 91 97 M +32 477 425 534 E werner.helsen@faber.kuleuven.be

2. 2005-2006 UEFA Referee Talents’
Fitness Programme
p. 2 / 4
- From the 16 m box, referees sprint to the goal line, then they return
jogging backward to the 16 m box and continue jogging forward to
the goal line (4)
- They continue jogging to the midline and then walk back to the
start position. This constitutes 1 lap. For each lap of 320 m, referees
accelerate to sprint approximately 110 m (duration 1 lap + 2’30”)
jogging walking
4
3 2 Start
1
jogging
sprint
- 4’ passive recovery (until bpm < 65% HRmax)
- Set 2: again 4 laps of 2’30” each
- All together, this exercise takes 10’ + 4’ rec + 10’ = 24’
* Match play - If referees have a group training session then a 10’ regular
match can be played with the restriction that the ball can
only be touched twice (‘control & pass’). If the game is not played
fast enough, another restriction can be implemented, i.e. to score all
members of a team have to be on the attacking part.
- Alternatively, if it is not possible to play a match, referees may
perform a 10’ medium intensity jogging (80% HRmax).
* Cool down - 5’ jogging and walking, followed by 10’ extensive stretching
Total duration: 84’
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W. Helsen T +32 16 32 90 68 F +32 16 32 91 97 M +32 477 425 534 E werner.helsen@faber.kuleuven.be

3. 2005-2006 UEFA Referee Talents’
Fitness Programme
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Fri. 15th: REST or PASSIVE RECOVERY
Sat. 16th: * Low Int. - 5’ jogging slowly building up to 80% HRmax (+ 1 km)
Tr. 21
* Warm up - 20’ extensive warming up, mobilisation and stretching
* Speed - Set 1: Sprint exercise in the penalty box, 5 laps in total
- 5’ passive recovery (until bpm < 65% HRmax)
- Set 2: Sprint exercise in the penalty box, again 5 laps in total
sprint
DYNAMIC
START
jogging
sideways-R
walking
sideways-L
backward
sprint
- The total exercise time is 15’.
- In total, this exercise takes 15’. The total sprint distance is 320 m.
* Cool down - 5’ jogging and walking, followed by 10’ extensive stretching
Total duration: 55’
Sun. 17th: Officiating exhibition games and/or UEFA Intertoto Cup matches. Alternatively,
intermittent activities can be done such as playing tennis, badminton, squash, or
5-a-side football.
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W. Helsen T +32 16 32 90 68 F +32 16 32 91 97 M +32 477 425 534 E werner.helsen@faber.kuleuven.be

4. 2005-2006 UEFA Referee Talents’
Fitness Programme
p. 4 / 4
WEEK 6 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Weekly % Activity
Macrocycle I week 6 Tuesday Thursday Saturday Total Breakdown
Training objective HI Ext speed SP (mins)
Warm up 20 20 20 60 28.2%
High Int. 24 0 0 24 11.3%
Low Int. 5 5 5 15 7.0%
Med. Int. / Ext. Sp. 0 20 0 20 9.4%
Speed End. 0 0 0 0 0.0%
Speed 0 0 10 10 4.7%
Match practice 0 10 0 10 4.7%
Act. Recovery 0 0 0 0 0.0%
Strength 10 10 0 20 9.4%
Pass. Recovery 0 4 5 9 4.2%
Cool down & Str. 15 15 15 45 21.1%
TOTAL 74 84 55 213 100.0%
P.S. All the training sessions are based upon percentages of the maximal heart rate % HRmax.
Therefore, for those who do not possess a heart rate monitor, the following exercise intensity
classifications should be used:
% HRmax Type of training Perceived exertion
< 65% HRmax Passive Recovery (PR) Very easy
65-75% HRmax Low Intensity (LI) Easy to comfortable
76-85% HRmax Medium Intensity (MI) Uncomfortable to stressful
86-95% HRmax High Intensity (HI) Hard to very hard
> 95% HRmax Maximal Effort (ME) Maximal
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W. Helsen T +32 16 32 90 68 F +32 16 32 91 97 M +32 477 425 534 E werner.helsen@faber.kuleuven.be