Effectiveness of the FIFA11+Referees Injury Prevention Program in improving athletic performance in male professional soccer referees

BACKGROUND: Football refereeing requires physical and tactical skills that imply risks of injuries. The Federa-tion International de Football Association (FIFA) 11+ Referees Injury Prevention Program (FIFA11+ for Referees) is a complete warm-up package based on the specific injury profile of referees and on the "FIFA11+" injury prevention program for players. It consists of three parts: part 1 -running part; part 2 -plyometric and balance exercises; part 3 -high-speed and change-of-direction running. This study aimed to investigate if different components of the FIFA11+ for Referees program separately could positively affect the acute athletic performance of referees. METHODS: Twenty-nine young male referees were randomly assigned to control group (N.=10), FIFA 1-2-3 group (N.=10), and FIFA 1-3 group (N.=9). Participants underwent anthropometric assessment and fitness tests before and after the intervention: single long jump (SLJ), five long jumps (5LJ), Illinois Agility Test (IA), and handgrip test (HGS). The Borg Scale of perceived exertion was used to monitor referee fatigue during the tests. RESULTS: Subjects in FIFA 1-3 gained better results in SLJ and 5LJ tests compared to the control group and subjects in the FIFA 1-2-3 group. Regarding agility skills, subjects in the FIFA1-3 group completed the IA in a lesser time than the other groups. There is a decrease in the HGS test for the FIFA 1-2-3 group compared to the FIFA1-3 group. The Borg scale showed that subjects in the FIFA 1-3 group experienced lesser fatigue compared to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: The FIFA11+ for Referees program, especially the combination of parts 1 and 3, can be a suitable pre-match warm-up training. It is easy to perform, short, and can lead to significant performance gains in the short term.