FIFA standards and gaps in referee fitness tests

Vietnamese referees training before the season. Photo: VFF .

The passing of referee Tran Dinh Thinh at the age of 43 after a health incident during a physical examination on the morning of August 3 shocked the Vietnamese football world. A person who had worked for many years in national professional tournaments could not pass the physical examination.

The holes

According to current regulations, all referees and assistant referees who want to officiate in professional tournaments in Vietnam must pass physical tests according to FIFA standards. These tests are designed to assess high-level physical ability, requiring endurance, speed and flexibility. However, these factors are not always maintained in people over 40 years old.

For young, healthy referees, passing these tests is an acceptable challenge. However, for those who are older, or even have a history of cardiovascular or respiratory disease or high blood pressure, the pressure of trying to meet the requirements in a short period of time can easily become dangerous pressure. Especially in hot, humid weather conditions like summer in the North, the risk increases even with medical preparation from the organizing committee.

Before entering the physical test, referees are required to submit a health certificate according to Circular 32/2023/TT-BYT. However, in reality, these documents do not always fully and accurately reflect the physical condition of the examinee. Periodic examinations are often not close to the time of the test, or do not assess the cardiovascular-respiratory response to strenuous exercise.

In the case of referee Tran Dinh Thinh, initial information shows that he completed all procedures and entered the examination according to the correct procedure. However, the failure to detect or properly assess the level of physical endurance shows that there are still gaps in preventive medical work. Without in-depth examination measures or periodic re-evaluations close to the exam date, similar accidents are likely to recur.

Referee Tran Dinh Thinh passed away after an accident during a physical test.

Time for a change

With FIFA applying a common testing standard for all referees, the question is whether the standards should be adjusted to suit each age or health condition in each country? This is not a simple issue, because referees on the field need to ensure that they are physically capable of keeping up with the game, handling situations accurately and maintaining fairness.

However, some regional and national soccer federations have begun to experiment with different fitness standards. For example, the U.S. Soccer Federation grants “Emeritus” status to referees aged 45 and older and does not require them to undergo regular fitness tests. FIFA, meanwhile, maintains a common fitness standard, but allows for additional medical tests for older referees.

Some tests could be grouped by age, or replaced with job suitability assessments based on actual performance history and fitness monitoring data. This would not only ensure the humaneness of referee assessments, but also reduce the risk of accidents during training.

Referees are one of the important forces to maintain the fairness and professional quality of the tournament. To maintain this team, training and evaluation are necessary.

However, football authorities need to review the current fitness testing regime, especially for older referees, who are often experienced but need to be assessed on a more realistic basis rather than according to rigid standards.

Improving the quality of medical examinations, adding cardiovascular stress assessment and age classification are not only technical solutions but also show respect and humanity to those who have been involved in professional football for decades. The passing of referee Tran Dinh Thinh is a reminder that, sometimes, human life is more important than a test.

Source: https://znews.vn/chuan-fifa-va-khoang-trong-trong-trong-bai-kiem-tra-the-luc-trong-tai-post1574022.html