The test Taisa (Aerobic Intermittent Specific Referee) Test is a physical assessment protocol specifically designed for sports referees. Introduced in 2016 by the Direction Technique de l’Arbitrage, TAISA aims to assess referees’ aerobic capacity and physical condition as part of their preparation and fitness to officiate at competitions.
This test is of particular importance in the field of sports refereeing, as it recognizes the importance of referees’ fitness in their ability to make informed decisions and maintain a steady pace throughout a match. Unlike the players themselves, referees must be able to follow the game steadily, move quickly around the pitch and stay focused on the action without showing signs of excessive fatigue.
TAISA is distinguished from other physical evaluation tests by its specificity to refereeing requirements. It generally includes intermittent aerobic elements, reflecting the typical stop-and-go efforts encountered when managing a sports match. Sequences of intense effort followed by recovery periods are designed to simulate the real-life situations referees face on the pitch.
1.Some statistics on referees for the test Taisa
- Referees travel on average between 7 and 11 km per match.
- About 150 accelerations per match
- Most of their decisions are made when their maximum heart rate is between 95% and 100%.
2. Equipment required for the test Taisa
The Referee Specific Intermittent Aerobic Test (TAISA) requires little equipment, but each element is crucial to the effective implementation of the test. Here are the two main items required:
- Pylons: Pylons are visual markers placed on the ground to delimit running zones and change-of-direction zones. They are used to create specific courses and define distances to be covered in the various TAISA events. Referees can use studs of different colors or shapes to indicate the different areas of the test, making it easier to understand and navigate during the exercise.
- A soundtrack (the Sportbeeper): The Sportbeeper is an audio device used to synchronize the running and resting intervals during TAISA. It emits distinct sound signals to indicate the start and end of each phase of the test, helping referees to maintain a constant pace and respect the prescribed times for each event. The Sportbeeper can be programmed to adjust the duration of the intervals to suit the specific requirements of the test and the fitness levels of the participants.
3. Test sequence
This is an intermittent test. Referees have to perform a certain number of accelerations (between 30 and 40) within a set time (15 seconds or 17 seconds). The distance also varies between 75 and 64 meters, as does the recovery time between 20 and 22 seconds. These variations vary according to the refereeing category. The referee performs numerous short-distance sprints with little recovery time over the course of a match. This intermittent test comes very close to a match situation.
Referees must cross the line before the end of each sequence, which is signalled by an acoustic signal. To approve the test, the referees must validate the number of repetitions of the specified distance within the specified time. If the participant has not placed his foot on the line by the time the signal sounds, he receives a warning. After two, the test is over for him/her and will not be validated.
Note: A referee may move down a category during the test. He will then validate the category below his own. Once downgraded to the lower category, the referee cannot go back up to his category.
This test can be taken by a large number of referees at the same time. This means that any level of referee can take the TAISA test at the same time.
The Sportbeeper Pro is the ideal tool for performing this TAISA test as you can set it up by walking through the Sportbeeper Pro intermittent menu.
