PRESEASON TRAINING: THE THEORY BEHIND THE PRACTICE
Planning for the season with Matt Weston
Football is a physically demanding sport that requires players to compete to the best of their physical capacity during matches in order to attain an optimal performance. Very often players are required to play two matches per week and, during periods of dense fixtures, the recovery in between matches can often be as a little as 48 hours. It is no different for the soccer referees. Research had demonstrated that the physical demands of soccer refereeing are very similar to the demands placed upon players, despite the referees occupying a significantly older age range (35-45 years of age).
Therefore, to ensure that soccer referees are optimally prepared to perform to the best of their physical capacity, it is of vital importance that their physical training has the correct structure of training frequency, intensity, duration and also periods of rest. However, soccer referees may often officiate on two games per week and this scenario has important implications upon the quality and quantity of physical training that they can perform in that particular week. Also, the added burden of impaired recovery due to travelling to and from matches, complications with nutritional strategies due to the timing of meals and the general slower rates of recovery concomitant with the ageing process (Wilmore and Costill, 1999) only serve to further disrupt the referees training regime.
In fact, football refereeing is like no other sport in that in most countries the referees do not know when and where they will be refereeing until to one or two weeks prior to the actual matches. When an athlete knows his or her competitive schedule it becomes easier for them to plan their training around a specific event with the aim of achieving a ‘peak’ level of physical and mental fitness. However, this is not possible for the football referees, as they are required to be at their ‘competitive peak’ almost every week of the soccer season, which lasts approximately 10 months. Also, for many top-class referees, out of season tournaments such as the European and World Championships extend the season even further. With this is mind, it is of vital importance that the football referees’ training regime is carefully structured over the course of the season to ensure that the referee has 1) the appropriate levels of physical fitness to cope with the physical and mental demands of each and every match, 2) can recover sufficiently in between matches and heavy training sessions and 3) has sufficient levels of fitness to cope with periods of fixture density, i.e., the decrease in training load which occurs following an increase in competitive fixtures.
The aim of this document is to provide the theory behind the practice with regards to the planning of the referees PreSeason training programme. For any structured medium / long-term planning of physical training, the concept of ‘periodisation’ needs to be applied and the theory behind this concept will first be examined.
The Concept of Periodisation
Periodisation has been defined as the gradual cycling of training specificity, training intensity and volume of training in order to achieve peak levels of fitness for competition (Wilmore and Costill, 1999). Indeed, periodisation is one of the most important concepts in training and planning as physical performance depends upon an athlete’s adaptation and psychological adjustment to training and competitions, and development of skills and abilities (Bompa, 1999). However, in order to achieve this, it is important that referees are subjected to a variety of stimuli within their training plans. Otherwise it will be impossible to attain and sustain an optimal level of physical fitness. Selye (1976) put forward the theory of General Adaptation Syndrome and this theory was based around the concept that the human body has, in general, a three-phase response to the stress induced by physical training. Phase I is characterised as ‘shock’ and typically refers to the soreness and fatigue (both physical and mental) experienced by athletes following a bout of exercise. These feelings are associated with a decreased physical performance. Phase II is adaptation. It is during this phase that the body begins to recover and adapt to the overload that was induced by the previous training session. These adaptations may be positive, i.e., superior energy producing systems, stronger muscles etc. or negative, i.e., injury. Phase III, staleness, is where despite continued training the body is no longer adapting to the stress imposed upon it during training sessions. The only way to induce any further adaptations, which will serve to improve physical performance, is through changing or varying the training stimuli. This can be achieved through manipulation of training specificity, volume and intensity.
Bompa (1983) claimed that during the ‘staleness’ phase, the body has adapted to the previous level of physical (or mental intensity) and training at this level no longer disrupts the body to an extent where further adaptations will be induced. Taken together, the application of periodisation to training will enable referees to attain peak physical condition and this can only be achieved through spending as little time as possible within the staleness phase. As periodisation involves the gradual cycling of training specificity, intensity and volume, fresh stimuli are frequently presented in training sessions, thus reducing the risk of staleness. Indeed, Schmid and Alejo (2002) reported that periodisation plays a vital role in any athlete’s physical progress as it offers the advantage of providing a variety of stimuli through various exercise choices, training intensities and volumes
Application of Periodisation Concept into Training Plans
To enable an effective cycling of training specificity, intensity and volume, the training season should ideally be divided into several different cycles, all of which have different aims and objectives. Over the years many different complex annual training plans have been proposed, all of which have been based around the attainment of a peak level of physical conditioning for one or two competitions with that year. However, football refereeing requires a ‘peak’ level of conditioning to be attained for every match officiated, as the importance of competition tends not to vary over the duration of a season. The figure below provides an overview of the division of the annual plan into phases and cycles of training, thus adhering to the concept of periodisation.
The terms presented in figure 1 will first be discussed briefly in terms of their general application to training plans and then in more detail, with regards to the breakdown of a football referee’s PreSeason training.
Figure 1 Organisation of the referees training year into phases and cycles of periodised training (adapted from Bompa, 1999)
The annual plan refers to the whole of that particular training year. It starts at the beginning of the preparation period and ends after the competitive season has been completed. The aims for the plan are very general, in terms of physical performance. For all sports, a period of preparation training is required prior to the competitive season and within soccer this phase of training is commonly referred to as ‘PreSeason training’. It is during this phase that athletes look to gradually build up general all-round fitness levels. As the preparatory training progresses, there is a gradual shift from general conditioning types of training sessions to more match specific training sessions, in terms of replicating the movement patterns and intensities associated with actual performance. As a result the body becomes prepared, both physically and mentally, for the forthcoming competitive phase.
Within each of the different training phases are macro and microcycles. A macrocycle normally represents a period of six weeks ( 2weeks) training (Bompa, 1999) and is broken down into shorter cycles, varying from one to three weeks, which constitute a microcycle. Again following the concept of periodisation, depending upon the phase of the training year, training specificity, intensity and volume are cycled in order to ensure an optimal adaptation to exercise and in turn an improved level of physical performance. The end of the season is normally associated with a recovery phase.
Referees PreSeason Training Plan – Breakdown
The aim of Part I of this chapter is to provide an overview as to the theory behind the planning of the referee’s PreSeason with regards to physical preparation. As mentioned earlier, from the perspective of the football referee, a ‘peak’ level of physical fitness needs to be attained prior to every match to ensure that he/she can easily cope with the physical demands of the matches. However, this scenario can only be attained if a structured training plan, that contains the appropriate specificity, intensity and volume, is adhered to.
The first consideration for any seasonal planning is the preparatory phase, or PreSeason season training. The preparatory phase for the football referee should be ideally divided up into two phases, 1) general preparation and 2) specific preparation.
General Preparation
The seasonal breakdown of the football referees’ training, will focus upon a generalised approach with particular emphasis upon training specificity, intensity and volume.
The start of the general preparation phase of training normally follows a period of 3/4 weeks rest and regeneration (see Part II) which follow the end of the previous competitive season.
A referee’s annual PreSeason training normally commences in late June/early July. However, due to a number of different factors this is the period of the football calendar where referees may be at their greatest risk for potential injury. The FA Audit of injuries in professional football (Hawkins et al. 2001) reported that the highest number of training injuries amongst players occurs during PreSeason training and this is caused by a greater risk of slight / minor injuries, particularly to the lower leg, during the period of intense physical training that constitutes the PreSeason. Specifically, the sharp increase in training volume and intensity following the rest period that players undertake at the end of the season (normally up to 4 weeks) has often been cited as severely increasing the risk of soft tissue injuries in players. Secondly, the volume of training is at a peak during PreSeason in order to build up appropriate levels of fitness for the ensuing competitive season and this can easily predispose referees to a heightened risk of overuse injuries due to an inappropriate balance between overload and recovery. Also, factors such as hard ground, common during the summer months, and new footwear (referees often use the PreSeason to wear in new boots or to try different brands) can also contribute to an increased risk of injury. All of the above factors contribute significantly to soft tissue injuries and therefore it is no surprise that the incidence of Achilles tendon injuries amongst players is highest during the months of July and August and then decreases progressively over the remainder of the season (Hawkins et al. 2001). Indeed, this pattern is true for the majority of non-contact, training injuries in soccer players.
As this preparation period is vital for the development of referees’ fitness for the following season, the onset of the general preparation phase needs to be very carefully planned.
Aim
‘To develop a high level of physical conditioning to facilitate future performance and training’
Physical Abilities
The development of aerobic endurance is key during this phase of the training year. Taking into consideration the increased risk of injury during this time of year, the development of aerobic endurance should be achieved mainly through high volume and duration training as opposed to intensive, intermittent aerobic training sessions. These sessions should be performed ideally at an intensity that is comfortable (70 – 80%HRmax). However, the duration of these sessions should not be too long in the first two weeks of the training plan. It is recommended that the first few sessions be of duration no more than 20 minutes, gradually building up to sessions of 40 to 50 minutes in duration. In order to elicit a sufficient overload to improve the aerobic capacity of the body it is recommended that low to medium aerobic sessions are performed two to three times per week in the early general preparatory phase, gradually building up to three to four times per week.
As the main emphasis during the general preparatory phase is placed upon training volume as opposed to training intensity, training specificity is low. Consequently, speed and speed endurance training are not programmed in the early weeks of this training phase. However, strength training should ideally be performed two times per week in order to develop a good level of whole-body strength. A general strength programme for core stability and whole-body strength development with many exercises (9-12, performed at a load of 40- 60% 1RM) is desirable at this stage of the season (Bompa, 1999).
Macrocycle
The general preparatory cycle should ideally encompass an entire macrocycle, with the length of the cycle dependent upon the amount of rest taken during the close season prior to PreSeason training. However, it is normal for this phase to last anywhere between two to four weeks, with the latter being closer to the ideal. The pattern of training over this macrocycle is a gradual rise in training volume (frequency*duration) as the body adapts to the first few training sessions. Training intensity should be carefully monitored to ensure that the referees do not undertake too much training too soon, regardless of how good they are feeling during these sessions.
Microcycles
The structure to the microcycles should be planned in such a way that there is sufficient recovery in between training sessions, especially during the first weeks. As there are no fixtures during this period, there should be no tapering within each microcycle, i.e., a reduction in training volume and intensity, coupled with quality rest prior to competition/match (Wilmore and Costill, 1999).
Effects
The effects of the general preparatory training programme will be:
1. A structured reintroduction into regular physical training sessions.
2. The development of a good aerobic base, which will provide sufficient fitness levels to cope with the increases in training intensity that follow during the specific preparation phase.
3. A good level of general strength that will help to reduce the incidence of injury and also enable the attainment of greater levels of strength and a transition into power training as the weeks progress.
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