@Article{Carling2025,
journal="Biology of Sport",
issn="0860-021X",
volume="42",
number="3",
year="2025",
title="Match-play running activity in elite female soccer field and 
assistant referees",
abstract="This study aimed to 1) describe running outputs during official match-play in elite French female Field (FR) and Assistant Referees (AR), 2) determine whether decrements in outputs occurred in the 2 nd -half and during the final 15-minute interval of each half. A total of 13 elite female game officials participated: 6 AR (age: 28.9 ± 5.1) and 7 FR (age: 28.1 ± 2.0). Outputs were collected using GPS over 3 consecutive seasons (2020/21–2022/23). Competitions included elite senior female/male domestic matches and international female/male youth \& senior matches ( n  = 501; AR = 285, FR = 216). Variables included: total distance covered (km), distances travelled (m) at low- (< 13 km/h) and high-speeds (≥ 13 km/h, ≥ 19 km/h, ≥ 23 km/h) and the frequency of high-intensity acceleration \& deceleration events (≥ 3 m·s  −2 ). Mean outputs per minute were compared across match halves and for the first 15-minute versus the final 15-minute interval in each half using Effect Sizes (ES). Main results showed that FR covered approximately 9.5 km per game of which 24% was at high-speeds (D ≥ 13 km/h) while AR travelled ~5 km (~14% ran at high-speeds). More high-intensity deceleration versus acceleration events were observed for both roles. Outputs generally dropped in the 2 nd  versus the 1 st  half (FR = small to moderate and AR = small to large ES) and during the final 15-minute intervals in each half versus the first 15-minutes in the 1 st -half (FR = moderate to large and AR = small to large ES). This study has established general match running activity profiles for elite French assistant and field referees and reported a trend for a temporal decline in outputs whilst demonstrating the importance of performing deceleration events.",
author="Carling, Christopher
and Doudet, Franck
and Gruson, Batiste
and Prat, Jean-Michel
and Pavillon, Thomas",
pages="275--282",
doi="10.5114/biolsport.2025.147014",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.147014"
}