Physical fitness is one of the most important aspects of refereeing at all levels of football.

Weekly physical training sessions take place during the football season (August to May) every Wednesday at 6pm until 7.30pm at Queens Park Stadium, Bught Park, Inverness. The training sessions are under the guidance of the North of Scotland Associations Trainer Mr John Johnston. All are welcome to come along.

Fitness test

A fitness test set by FIFA has to be passed twice a year for all senior listed officials and for Referees who officiate in Junior League Football in Scotland. The test is available for all registered officials to try and is a good benchmark for measuring your fitness.

The minimum criteria for passing the test:

List of Referees - Fitness Test Conditions

Test Requirements

Test 1 - Sprints
· 6 x 40 metres
· 6.4 seconds for Categories 1 and 2
· 6.2 seconds for Categories 3SAR, 3 and 4A
· 6.6 seconds for Category 4B
· 6.8 seconds for Category 4B referees over the age of 47

Test 2 - Laps · Categories 1 to 4A require to complete 15 laps ((30 x 150 metre runs inside 30 seconds each run) with the following recovery:
· 40 seconds each walk for Categories 1 and 2
· 45 seconds each walk for Categories 3SAR, 3, 4A and 4B
· Category 4B referees require to complete 10 laps (20 x 150 metre runs inside 30 seconds each run). Category 4B referees over the age of 47 years require to complete 8 laps (16 x 150 runs inside 30 seconds). In both cases, the recovery time is:
· 45 seconds each walk

August Test · Categories 1, 2, 3(SAR), 3 and 4A undertake the Test at National level under the supervision of the SFA on a date or dates decided by the SFA.
· Category 4B referees undertake the test at their own association under the supervision of the Association Manager on a date or dates decided by the Association Manager.
· A referee who fails to present him/her self on the date(s) arranged for their respective Category or who fails to successfully complete the Test may not officiate in senior football with immediate effect.
· In the event that a referee is unable to attend the Test at National level on the arranged date(s), he will be required to sit the Test on a date decided by the SFA.
· The Test must be completed by 31st August, with the exception of special circumstances such as injury, failing which the referee may not officiate in senior football with immediate effect.

November Test · Categories 1, 2 and 3(SAR) undertake the Test at National level under the supervision of the SFA
· Categories 3, 4A and 4B undertake the test at their own association under the supervision of the Association Manager.
· A referee who fails to successfully complete the Test may not officiate in senior football with immediate effect.
· In the event that a referee is unable to attend the Test at National level on the arranged date(s), he will be required to sit the Test on a date decided by the SFA.
· Allowance will be made, on a case by case basis, for any referee who may not be able to present himself for the test due to injury by 31st December.
· The Test must be completed by 30th November, with the exception of special circumstances such as injury. Referees who otherwise fail to present themselves for the test by this date may not officiate in senior football with immediate effect.

Spring Test (March-April) · All Categories will undertake the Test at their own association under the supervision of the Association Manager.
· A referee who fails to successfully complete the Test may not officiate in senior football with immediate effect.

General Conditions
· Three attempts are allowed to pass the Test. The count starts from a referee's first fail on a continuous rolling basis.
· The deadline for passing the Test is 31st December, failing which the referee's name will be removed from the List of Referees for the remainder of the season. Exceptions to this, to take account of a referee either with a long term injury or one returning from injury, will be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Referee Committee.
· Failure to complete any of the three Tests prevents a referee from officiating in senior football only. The condition does not apply to Junior football.
· The Referee Committee reserves the right to request a referee to submit a medical certificate to confirm the nature of an injury.
· Women referees included in the List of Referees, or being nominated for inclusion, require to complete the applicable fitness test criteria for the List.
· Referees who are unable to attend a test at their own association must arrange to attend a test at another association.