on November 17, 2025, 10:10 am, in reply to "Depends who my assistants are, if I've worked with them before and trust them"
Previous Message
I'll use different movement than someone I don't know or don't trust.
Like you, I prefer to stay further back as it also helps with clearer visibility when there is opportunity for advantage and it helps me read the game better too.
Only area I get closer to is when the game is right in front of the benches so that if I have to give anything the credability bar is higher because I'm on top of the play and I'm also right there if there is any type of flashpoint.
Never had the opportunity to work with someone from the very top level of the mens game, would love to.
I've done a couple of games with very high level refs who have been excellent and I've worked with a Fifa level assistant (regulary does big internationals in the womens game and has also done womens fa cup final) who is brilliant as an assistant but who had a shocker when she was in the middle and I ran the line for her!
Ste Previous Message
but I only do about 5 miles a game
I can see things more clearly from 20 yards away than when I'm on top of something so there's no need to be on top of play
The one big noticeable difference when I did a line for Michael Salisbury a couple of years ago was how he was always up with play - he was unbelievably fit Previous Message
My highest ever was 12.3k and that was an open, flowing game with lots of quick transitions involving a team who are WSL2 standard (second highest level in women’s football)
19 would almost be impossible to achieve as a ref, if you cover anywhere near that much ground it means your positioning is actually poor.
Like said below the average of about 10k is right, referees at the top level actually cover less ground because they don’t follow play into certain areas as they will leave certain zones to their assistants and they know they have VAR to back them up so they are encouraged to stay out the way and further from play than a more lower level ref would.
Being too close to the action actually makes it harder to referee.
My average is about 11 for the high level women’s I do and about 8 for the men’s football I do (much lower level) there are some games that both teams are so terrible I barely cover any ground as they just continuously give the ball away to each other in midfield!
My highest ever distance was 14.3km and that included a very open 30 mins of extra time!
Ste Previous Message
Referees run 19km per game, that's 8km more than the average player.
HOW?
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