Partnerships, PGMO

Now We'll All Know How Stressful It Is To Be A Premier League Referee

For a number of seasons, all Premier League referees have been wearing Polar sports computers, with timing features, during matches - so now we can all know what happens to a ref's heart rate at those "heart stopping" penalty decision moments - and just how fit ref's are compared to players.

Polar's ongoing arrangement with the Referees' Association to supply all Premier League referees with heart rate monitors for training and matches has formalised what was an already widespread use of Polar by Premier League ref's and indeed Premier League players.

In fact, most of the Premier League teams, as well as the majority of Championship and Football League Clubs, use Polar training computers for heart rate, fitness and health monitoring to help players achieve optimum fitness and performance.

And today, referees training schedules and levels of fitness often match those of the players - and monitoring their hearts' performance is an equally crucial part of their fitness programme. All referees are given a prescribed training programme that they must undertake using their Polar heart rate monitor. The data from the training computer is monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that their fitness levels are to the right standard.

The Referees' Association and Polar will be reporting some of the findings during the season, so this is yet another area where referees' performance is under scrutiny.

Keith Hackett, General Manager of the Professional Game Match Officials, commented that: "Monitoring and maintaining our officials' fitness is of paramount importance in today's game. Polar's equipment is undoubtedly the market leader, and the best in the world. It is accurate, easy to use and, for our members, invaluable. That's why we are recommending Polar to all 30,000 members in the amateur and professional game".

Malcolm Douglas, Managing Director of Polar UK, said: "I am delighted with this agreement. It is a significant partnership for Polar, and further evidence that Polar is the leading product - and the most respected brand - in the heart and fitness monitor market".

For more information about the PGMO, visit www.refworld.com

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