This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of injuries among soccer referees in Japan and assess whether these injuries impact their refereeing activities.
This study included 10 participants who are Japan Football Association Certified Referees (Level 1: n=1, Level 2: n=3, Level 3: n=6). A semi-structured online interview was conducted to collect basic information (age, height, weight, qualification level, occupation, years of experience, average number of games per year) and details on injury occurrence (whether they had experienced an injury, location and type of injuries, and effect on their refereeing activities). Participants rated the effect of their injuries on refereeing activities using a 5-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), with 1 indicating "no effect" and 5 indicating "significant effect." Follow-up questions were asked to explore their NRS ratings, and the responses were transcribed verbatim. The co-occurrence network of the injury's effect on refereeing was analyzed using text-mining software (KH Coder 3).
Six of the 10 participants (60.0%) had experienced a total of 12 injuries. Most injuries occurred in the thigh and ankle joints, with 3 cases in each region. Injury types included overuse injuries (5 cases), separated flesh (4 cases), and sprained ankle joints (3 cases). The average NRS for the impact of injuries on refereeing activity was 3.1 ± 1.0. From the co-occurrence network analysis, "running speed" and "turning movement" emerged as key factors affected by injuries.
The average NRS of 3.1 ± 1.0 suggests a moderate effect of injuries on refereeing activities. The co-occurrence network showed that injuries lead to reduced running speed and difficulties with rapid directional changes. The referee is to make a decision from a position within 15 m of where the foul occurred. The further the distance between the referee's position and the point of the foul is from 15 m, the greater the likelihood of a misjudgment. Injuries can reduce the performance of the referee, and failure to maintain the proper position to judge plays can cause a misjudgment.
Japanese soccer referees experience injuries similar to those seen in international referees, and these injuries affect key aspects of their officiating, such as running speed. To minimize the impact on match quality, efforts should focus on injury prevention through self-conditioning and tailored training methods for referees.
injury occurrence
injury prevention
