Referee Monahan measures up well

Tracking The RefereeHe may not have pleased everyone with certain decisions, but All-Ireland football referee Mick Monahan covered over five miles, made 38 high tempo sprints, and clocked a maximal speed of 23.7 km/h. For the first time the GAA used advanced methods to monitor the movements of the match referee in last month's All-Ireland final between Tyrone and Kerry, and the results released yesterday will now be used to produce more effective training methods.

The monitoring was carried out for the GAA by the Peak Centre in Sandyford in Dublin, where sports scientist Carl Petersen has been analysing the information. The GAA have used heart monitors to assess a referee's exertions, but the information from last month's final goes way beyond that.

The Kildare official was linked up to a Global Positioning System (GPS), which meant his every movement was tracked by six satellites some 600km above the pitch. He wore a small backpack underneath his jersey with the GPS device, which measured just 11x5cm and weighed 110 grams, and collected data every second of his time on the field, as well as measuring factors such as heart rate.

He covered 8,131 metres (just over five miles) throughout the game, including the three minutes of additional time in each half. He spent 51 minutes, or 67 per cent of the 76-minute game, walking or standing still, which compares favourably with research done abroad. A study on New Zealand soccer referees, for example, revealed 69 per cent of game time was spent walking or standing still.

A total of 11 minutes were spent jogging (7-12 km/h) covering 1690 metres; another 11 minutes in moderate running (12-18 km/h) covering 2380 metres, and at the top end, Monahan made 38 sprints (over 18 km/h) in which he covered a total of 609 metres. The average sprint distance was just 16 metres, but he did hit a maximal sprint speed of 23.7 km/h.

"There are a few things you have to take into consideration with these results," explained Peterson.

"First of all the style of the two teams, with say their short passing game, meant he mightn't have been making the longer runs of some referees. But because it's the first time this monitoring was done we don't have any comparisons to make just yet.

"But in the past, sports trainers have relied almost exclusively on data from heart rate monitors to assess the physical demands placed upon athletes and officials during matches. One of the problems with setting training programmes based on heart rate data is heart rate is influenced by a number of external factors, such as the 82,000 people screaming spectators, which was sure to have raised the adrenaline levels. This would have had the effect of over-estimating the physical exertion.

"GPS devices enable us to easily define exactly what is done in a game so that training plans can be developed to optimise performance of referees across the country, enabling them to possess the specific fitness to carry out the physical demands of the match referring."

The information has been passed on to Croke Park's referee co-ordinator Jimmy Darcy, who will assimilate it into training programmes designed to help referees stay up with the play and ultimately be in a better position to make that crucial call. ALL-IRELAND FINAL STATS

Distance covered: 8,131 metres in the 76-minute game (three minutes additional time each half). 3452 metres spent walking.

Motion: Walking or standing still comprised 51 minutes or 67 per cent of the 76 minutes.

Low Tempo: 11 minutes were spent jogging (7-12 km/h) covering 1690 metres; another 11 minutes was spent in moderate running (12-18 km/h), covering 2380 metres.

High Tempo: 38 sprints (over 18 km/h), covering 609 metres, with 16 metres the average sprint distance.

Maximal sprint speed: 23.7 km/h.