Examination of the Physiological Demands of National Football League Officiating

Purpose To examine certain physiological parameters during officiating selected National Football League (NFL) games.

Methods Data were collected during four preseason NFL games. During each game1 a i-person crew was monitored on the following physiological parameters: heart tale activity (using Polar S610i Heart Rate Monitor), activity level, caloric expenditure, and distance traveled (all using MTI Actigraph Accelerometer Model 7164). The sample (N = 28) consisted of males with a mean age of 51 years.

Results For the full sample, the average heart rate was 121 beats/min, average caloric expenditure was 711 kcal, average distance traveled was 5.9 miles, and the average activity Level was moderate for 37% and light for 63% per game. Distance covered per game varied by position (e g. 7 3 miles for back judges and 4.6 mile for head linesmen, etc) Differences in caloric expenditure were also found among position (e.g.. 956 kcal for umpires and 537 kcal for line judges). Moreover, there were also differences among positions regarding activity level and heart rate activity.

Conclusion Officiating places significant physical demands on officials requiring officials to coverage an average distance of approximately 6 miles at light to moderate intensity over a 3- hour time period This work was supported by a grant from the National Football League.