Match officials incensed that they have to pay from their own pockets for more fitness tests

24 March 2017 - 12:39 By Mark Gleeson
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South Africa’s senior refereeing panel gathers in Port Elizabeth this weekend for testing after a mass failure at the last fitness examination in January left the pool of competent officials dangerously thin.

But with the league season heading into its most important phase‚ a new round of tests threatens to reduce even further the number of competent officials and has some referees up in arms‚ insiders have told TimesLive in a series of interviews.

While 20 officials who failed fitness tests in January and have been sidelined since from match duty must be re-tested‚ referees and linesmen who passed January’s examination have also been summoned to Port Elizabeth – at their own expense – for another round testing.

“It’s a bit pointless at the end of the season and actually quite dangerous‚” said one senior refereeing official.

“What if there is another calamity of officials failing the fitness tests when we are now at such an important phase of the season.”

FIFA regulations state that referees must be tested four times annually.

Two of these tests must be conducted at FIFA high intensity level and are usually held in January and pre-season in June or July.

The other two tests are what is called a ‘yoyo’ test.

Any referee who fails the fitness element of the test automatically is suspended from duty and must wait until the next tests to try and pass again before being restored to the panel.

January’s 20 failures were a record number for any SAFA testing and included senior referees Lwandile Mfiki and Philip Tiyani.

And embarrassingly for SAFA‚ a bevy of top linesmen also failed the test‚ including Moses Phale‚ Edward Madidilane and three from the FIFA panel - Lindikhaya Bolo‚ Sandile Dilikane and Thembisile Windvoel.

Those trying to get back after failing will do the FIFA high intensity test this weekend and the others the easier ‘yoyo’ test.

“But it is still a strain on the body and with so many games to come in the next months the timing is not great‚” a senior referee said on Friday.

“We are feeling it.”

All conversations were on condition of anonymity for fear of being punished for talking to the press.

“It is also not fair that the referees have to pay their own way and why did they pick PE for the test?

"It is among the most expensive places to get to‚” complained another official.

“There should be a designated physical trainer in each region to ensure referees are fitter. SAFA just hands out guidelines and leaves the refs to their own devices but patently they need help.”

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport

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