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4.4km for 70 minute game

Z

Zebra1922


Referees in Scotland
I've got a new fitness tracker which I used at my last game. Recorded me running (well, walking, jogging, running etc.) 4.4km over the course of a 70 minute game. It was a bit slow paced, lots of scrums and slow line outs.

Anyone got some stats on their average distance travelled during a game?
 
The average is going to vary with the level of game you do. Not a lot of point comparing an L1 and a L10 in England. I would have thought.
 
I am not so sure .. have you got any stats ?

The style of play and game plan affects it, as will the time the ball is out of play .
It may all average out
 
I'd imagine a high-level ref will move more efficiently around the field than a beginner.

I mean, I'm pretty much banking on it getting easier :D
 
Also pro games include
.. lots of scrum resets
.. ping pong aerial kicking
.. teams playing thirty phases of pick and go , perhaps to wind down the clock, perhaps for a drop goal

All of which require very little movemt from the ref.

On the other hand players run faster and can (when that's the plan) move the ball faster.

It may even out ...
 
Always worth a browse in the archives: This has cropped up a few times in the past...
Like this one, for example: April 2012
That said, I didn’t manage to find the discussion where these following studies were linked.

THE DISTANCE COVERED OF SOCCER AND RUGBY REFEREES DURING THE MATCH USING A MOBILE "GPS"
(Sample size 9 soccer refs and 10rugby refs)


The second study has some interesting conclusions
A similar study of 10Top level refs in Spain
(Analysis of 30 matchs in total)
[TEXTAREA]DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to carry out an analysis of the movement and the intensity of activity to which the referees are subjected during a rugby union match. An objective time-motion analysis method (GPS) was used also in conjunction with HR monitoring during the game. This is the first study to characterize the running movement patterns and exercise intensity of referees during rugby union matches using GPS technology. The results of this study showed that during a rugby union match the referees covered 6,323 m, which corresponds to a relative distance of approximately 75 m∙min21. In the only other study to assess the distance travelled by rugby union referees, it was estimated that an average distance of 8,581 m (101 m∙min21) was covered (14). It is possible that such differences may be attributed to the differing playing patterns in the Spanish top division compared with that in the English Premiership. However, direct comparisons between these 2 studies should be made with caution because of the different time motion analysis methods employed, with this study using an objective (GPS) methodology, whereas Martin et al. (14) estimated distance covered using a subjective method. With the same technology used in this study (i.e., GPS), it has been reported that elite male rugby union players covered a total match distance of 6,953m (5), which is in the range of the distance covered by the referees in this study.[/TEXTAREA]


[LAWS]RESULTS
Movement Analysis
The average total distance (±SD) covered by the referees throughout the game (84.9 6 2.9 minutes) was 6,322.2 ± 564.9 m with a range of 5,459–7,426 m. [/LAWS]

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
The assessment of the external (i.e., running demands) and internal (i.e., HR responses) load imposed during the competition is the first step preceding the design of specific conditioning programs in rugby union referees. Referees’ running performance is reduced throughout the match. Although the causes of this reduction in running performance remains unknown, fitness training of rugby union referees should aim to develop appropriate levels of high-intensity, intermittent running performance to promote fatigue resistance in the final 30 minutes of a game.
Click to expand...
 
I always used to find that there was more continuity in a good level women’s match than in a men’s. Also the ball used to be moved wider more often. It didn’t involve much change of pace but continual running. Especially if you were applying advantage.
 
crossref said:
I am not so sure .. have you got any stats ?

The style of play and game plan affects it, as will the time the ball is out of play .
It may all average out
Click to expand...

Only my own experience:

Youth - Fair bit of running usually pretty high speeds. Fair bit of stop start due to skill levels lots of scrums.

Normal district stuff - lower speed and lots of stop start due to skill levels.

BUCS - some very fast games as you go up the divisions. The bottom leagues is pertty much on a level wit hte District stuff. However, it gets a lot faster and far less stoppagesas you move up towards the The top division.
 
L'irlandais said:
Less stats available generally concerning the Women’s game.
Match-play Activity Profile in Elite Women's Rugby Union Players.
(GPS study of 8 players from 2013)
However with both Alhambra Nievas and Joy Neville becoming the first two female referees in history to officiate men's international game, I guess it is only a matter of time that stats for Women referees become available.
Click to expand...

Surely the distance covered by a ref at a certain level should be similar regardless of their sex? The ref needs to be in the same place at the same time on average so the stats won't be different. Yes for mens vs womens matches which may have a different style (in the same way I'd expect to cover relatively more ground at U19 level than many first team games), but not for male vs female refs.
 
Subjective experience may be misleading, I think the games that are most challenging are those that involve significant sprinting .. which means a line break or a grubber kick .
Three or four of those in the second half and you are likely puffing , but they probably amount to about 200m of distance covered so won't affect the total distance statistic
 
I'm sure I heard one of the Pro12 refs say the most he'd done was about 4 miles, which initially surprised me but then how many times does a showbiz ref venture into the 15m channels?

TBH, I think team tactics have a far bigger impact than skill level. I've done games in a higher league when they've both stuck it up the jumper and I've not broken into a sweat, and in a lower league when they've both thrown it around and I've been blowing out of my arse.
 
60 mins of a U13 game (3x 20 - don't ask!) on a really horrid swamp of a pitch got me 5.9k which surprised me at first, then realised the 'hard work' was probably as much the end to end nature of that game (skills mismatch and high scoring to one team) as opposed to the mucky pitch.

Previous Adult game was 6.4km and was a L9 3rds team fixture
 
That is a lot , the u13 game

Perhaps adult games are more predictable so you don't need to travel
For instance in an adult game if they kick 30m directly toward the oppo full back, you don't need to chase much as you know the ball is almost certainly coming back up the pitch one way or another ..

But in u13 game you never know what will happen so need to stay a bit closer to the ball ..
 
DocY said:
I'm sure I heard one of the Pro12 refs say the most he'd done was about 4 miles, which initially surprised me but then how many times does a showbiz ref venture into the 15m channels?

TBH, I think team tactics have a far bigger impact than skill level. I've done games in a higher league when they've both stuck it up the jumper and I've not broken into a sweat, and in a lower league when they've both thrown it around and I've been blowing out of my arse.
Click to expand...

As alluded to upthread: in my experience, the women like to move the ball. The men are much more likely to run pods off the breakdown and then go wide. When they do the pod thing, I walk about 4 meters. Then another 4. Then there's usually a midfield breakdown, then pod, then pod. Rinse, wash, repeat.
 
I've had some games that I've barely done 5km and other ones I've done close to 9. All depends on a lot of factors etc, but my average is about 6-6.5km per game.
 
SimonSmith said:
As alluded to upthread: in my experience, the women like to move the ball. The men are much more likely to run pods off the breakdown and then go wide. When they do the pod thing, I walk about 4 meters. Then another 4. Then there's usually a midfield breakdown, then pod, then pod. Rinse, wash, repeat.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know what you mean - plus the lack of messing about in the breakdowns increases the ball in play time.
 
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