The distances covered by basketball referees in a match increase throughout the competition phases, with no change in physiological demand

João Paulo Borin,¹ José Francisco Daniel,^2,3 Valéria Bonganha,³ Anderson Marques de Moraes,^2,4 Cláudia Regina Cavaglieri,¹ Luciano Allegretti Mercadante,⁵ Marcos Tadeu Nolasco da Silva,⁶ Paulo Cesar Montagner<sup>1

1</sup>School of Physical Education, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil; ²Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil; ³Postgraduate Program in Physical Education, ⁴Postgraduate Program in Children's Health, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil; ⁵School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Limeira, Brazil; ⁶School of Medical Science, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil

Background: It is crucial to know the demands on basketball referees, in different match periods (MPs) and phases of competition, for planning referee training and subsequent successful refereeing.
Objective: To measure and evaluate the distance covered by referees in a match by measuring the number of interruptions, percentage of heart rate (%HR), and blood lactate concentration ([lac]) in different phases of competition and in different MPs.
Method: We studied the qualifying (QP), semifinal (SP), and final (FP) phases of a total of 12 matches (four matches in each phase) of the 2009–2010 Brazilian Basketball League. Distance covered, number of match interruptions, and referees' %HR and [lac] were analyzed. We compared the results between competition phases and between MPs (1st MP, 2nd MP, 3rd MP, and 4th MP).
Results: Regarding the distances covered, we observed significant differences (P < 0.05) in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd MPs between the FP and the other two phases (SP and QP) throughout the match, between each phase; in the 4th MP, a significant difference was found when comparing the QP and the other two phases. Comparing the periods within each phase, we found that a greater distance was covered in the 4th MP in relation to the 3rd MP during the FP. No significant differences were found among the remaining variables.
Conclusion: The distances covered by referees in a basketball match increase throughout competition phases. This information is essential for planning of training and for the subsequent success of a referee.

Keywords: referees, basketball, distance covered, percentage of maximum heart rate