Monitoring the Bench and Technical Area

The task of the fourth official in each match is not an easy one. Interference from the bench may sometimes bring the match into disrepute. Thus, the misdemeanor of the coach or the team officials will not only smear their own reputation but also the reputation of the competition. Shouting at the match officials on their decisions is an act of dissent and will only land him off the bench. The fourth official has to keeps both benches and technical areas under his observation. Anyone not authorized to be in the technical area should be asked to leave before the start of the match. At times he has to bring to the attention of the referee of their presence. Only one team official may moves off the bench to give tactical instruction but he shall return to his place once he has finished with his task (sitting down is not required).
Handling the team officials may not be an easy task, he need to be patient and tactical in his approach as the officials are sometimes not in a proper state of mind especially when the team is losing or the players are not performing to his expectation.
The fourth official must be prepared to bring to the attention of the coach any instances of improper behavior by team officials or substitutes on the bench. He has to monitors and prevents the practice of throwing water containers of any kind onto the field or to players on the field. More often the team physiotherapist is the culprit who bring along water bottles and throwing them to the players when he enters the field to attend or to supervise the carrying out of injured player by the stretcher. He should be given a stern warning for doing so and on repetition be sent off the bench.
He need to observe the behavior of ball handlers and ensures that they follow the instructions regarding their responsibilities given prior to the start of play. He has to monitors substitutes who are warming up and prevents such persons from interfering with official activities. He has to ensure that such persons are easily distinguished from players (is mindful of the field of vision of assistant referees). He can use this information to prepare for a possible substitution request. Players out for treatment or any other reasons should be assisted their re-entry by standing near the touch line and getting the referee’s attention the sooner possible.
The efficient management of team officials and the cooperation of the team officials in this matter are important to uphold the quality of the implementation and running of the competition. The high quality competition reflect the high standards in coaching, team management, the refereeing and of course the game standards. We then be proud to part of it.

(Adapted from USSF article)

10 Questions that God won't ask.

God won’t ask what kind of car you drove; He will ask how many people you drove didn’t have transportation.
God won’t ask the square footage of your house, He will ask how many people you welcomed into the house.
God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He will ask how many you helped to clothe.
God won’t ask what your highest salary was, He will ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, He will ask how you treated your neighbors.
God won’t ask about the color of your skin, He will ask about the content of your character.
God won’t ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation; He will lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

You will not be measured by how much money or success you have made or achieved, but by how much you have touched the lives of others.
You will not be measured by the academic qualification you have, the big mansion you own, the big car you drove, the figures you have in your income or the designation that shows on your business card but you will be measured by the language that you used because it will portrait your real character and your true personality.
You may have high qualification and vast experience or achieved the highest level in your career but it will not be of any value if others in the same field or career do not benefit from you.

Test your refereeing Skills

Test your refereeing skill. A player ran with ball into his opponent’s penalty area and was tackled (1). As he was about to fall he managed to square the ball to his team-mate (2). The referee blew for the infringement; simultaneously the team-mate kicked the ball towards goal. The ball entered goal moments after the whistle was blown. What is your decision?
A. The goal is allowed no further action.
B. The goal is allowed, but caution the defender.
C. The goal is disallowed and restart with a dropped ball.
D. The goal is disallowed and restart with a penalty kick.

Give your comment and reason for your decision.

What's your decision?

When the incident occurred, defender (white) pulled attacker's jersey (yellow) at position '1', the referee (red) was at position '1'. There was no other player around except these two players who has a goal scoring opportunity. As this attacker was still moving towards goal so the referee played an advantage. The same occurred at position '2', an advantage was still applied. The referee decided to blow his whistle when he has no more advantage as two other defenders have closed in. A free kick was given.
Questions:
1. Was the referee correct in playing the advantage?
2. If he had stopped the play at position '1' or '2', what sanction should be given to the defender?
3. He stopped play at position '3', was he correct?
4. What sanction should be given to the defender if play was stopped at position '3'?

Give your comments.

Maldives National Day

Maldives national day is an important day, as it is observed to celebrate the victory of Muhammad Thakurufaanu over the Portuguese in the year 1573. According to the Islamic calendar, the National Day of Maldives falls on the 1st of Rabee ul Awwal, the third month. Read to know about the story of freedom of Maldives from the colonial rule of Portuguese.In the year 1558, Portuguese attacked Maldives and killed the then Sultan of this country and established their own rule. It was later in 1573; Muhammad Thakurufaanu arrived here along with his companions and succeeded in ending the fifteen-year colonial rule. Today, as a part of National Day celebrations in Maldives, parades and root marches take place on the streets of Male, its capital city and other islands. (http://maldives.tourism-srilanka.com/festivals/national-day.html).

A day to remember or remembered? What have we learnt from the historic incident? Our warriors have shown us the way to free our freedom from the Portuguese. The freedom that we inherited should we not cherished it? We should now move forward to ensure that the freedom that we inherited is here to stay. How can we be free when we cannot free ourselves from the laziness in us, asking us not to when we ought to? How can be free when we fail we blame it on others? How can we be free when we do not want to see what is laid ahead for us to explore and achieve?
Life is about making choices. Making the correct choices over the others is important. At the break of fajar we chose to continue in our dream rather to wake up and show our sincere thank to the Almighty in our solat. We chose not to be proud and appreciative on our friend’s success or achievements, instead show jealousy, prejudice and hatred. Meeting people we can choose to smile rather to frown and leave others astound. We pray to the Almighty to give us the guidance to achieve better today than yesterday and tomorrow better than today. We should then strive to make our live better so that we change the live of our parents too. Good and smart choices are based on rational and critical thinking not by our emotion. May we seek the Almighty guidance and blessing to give us the clear frame of mind so that we can decide better and to gain a better life; and eventually a better life now and hereafter?

Preventing Injuries in Football

It’s difficult to avoid certain injuries caused by impact during football, although improved conditioning and technique may reduce the likelihood. However, a large percentage of the injuries that players sustain do not involve impact. Lower-back problems, hamstring strain, and tendon inflammation are just a few of the injuries that often result from having poor technique or weak stabilizing muscles, or from simply failing to warm up correctly.

Maldivian players playing on hard sandy surface or even on the turf tend to get overused injuries because of the impact of pounding the foot on the hard surface. Some injuries are due to wearing improper footwear for the wrong activities. More often the above mentioned injuries are common among Maldivian footballers.

Most soft-tissue injuries can be avoided by adhering to injury prevention strategies and a well-designed conditioning program. Prehabilitation involves strength and conditioning exercises for specific muscles and joints that help to reduce injury risks, before an injury actually occurs. Prehabilitation is sport-specific and targets common injuries and strength imbalances that occur in the particular sport.

Common Football Injuries and Prehabilitation Options:

ankle sprain - balance drills, calf strengthening, correct footwear, beware uneven surfaces, proprioceptive plyometrics
hamstring tear - Strengthen the gluteals and hamstrings, core stability drills.
knee pain (patella tendon) - Strengthen the VMO (teardrop muscle that drops down towards the inside of the knee)
knee ligament - develop a good ratio of hamstring-to-quadriceps strength e.g. squats, swiss ball hamstring curls, proprioceptive plyometrics

The following principles and drills can help to prevent injury, many of which are covered in the Injury Prevention section or other areas of Fitness 4 Football:-
1. Take a functional approach to training that develops strength in various planes of movement by using, for example, rotational medicine ball drills, deceleration drills, and drills that mimic the movement patterns of football.
2. Include drills that enhance muscle and joint stability, such as balance drills, core stability drills, and strength drills.
3. Progress from a focus on stabilization to strength and power training.
4. Incorporate fuel mix drills to help players build resistance to fatigue, which is a key cause of football injuries.
5. Design training programs based on an informed analysis of the demands of playing football.
6. Respect the importance of flexibility and posture.
7. Begin each training session with appropriate warm-up exercises.
8. Use recovery strategies such as cooling down, contrast bathing, and replacing fluids.
9. Focus on using correct technique during all drills, such as explosive lifting.
10. Individualize the training program and its conditioning targets and include appropriate fitness-testing protocols.

Adapted from:

http://www.fitness4football.com/injury_prevention/introduction.htm

BEACH SOCCER

Maldives consists of many beautiful beaches in the world. Many resorts of world class are situated in most of the islands. Sometimes I wonder and feel that it is ridiculous that there is no beach soccer competition in Maldives. At least the inter-resort competition should exist. The Ministry of Tourism can also use the "sport tourism" concept to boost the tourism industry in Maldives. International events can be held in any of the island resorts.

Beach Soccer (also known as Sand Soccer and Beach Football), is taking the sporting world by storm. Played on a sand pitch measuring 28x37 metres, it focuses on some of the most spectacular aspects of modern football: skill, agility and, above all, goals.
Beach soccer is now a truly global sport, with FIFA becoming the world governing body in 2005. Tournaments have teams from all around the globe, are sponsored by international brands such as Coca Cola and McDonalds, and attract plenty of beach soccer interest amongst its fans and followers. The last world cup (in France) was a huge success, drawing nations from all corners of the globe, and on top of that there was an average of over 8 goals per game!
The world of beach soccer has been dominated by Brazil, who have won each of the last 3 world cups. Teams from Portugal, Spain, Italy and France are also very good, and we now see teams from as far apart as England and Australia competing to a high standard. Down Under there are plenty of beaches, and although fans are usually more interested in horse racing Melbourne Cup betting, the beach soccer players are improving year on year. Similarly Italy, who were runners up in the last world cup, look set to improve in the coming years.
And the unique party atmosphere enjoyed by a beach soccer crowd is maintained during the three-minute breaks between periods, when music and bikini-clad dancing girls keep the entertainment flowing.
http://www.beachsoccer-online.com/

UPGRADING FUTSAL IN MALDIVES

FUTSAL or indoor five a-side football is a very popular game in Maldives, especially in Male’. Although the only pitch available is the Mini Ground, that has three full size standard FUTSAL pitches but on sandy ground. Many organizations, clubs and even learning institutions played their part in organizing these competitions. Some of the competitions are the standard duration competitions which drag over a period of a month but most of the competitions are the modified version, playing five minutes each side. Two competitions that can be sanctioned as standard national competitions are the “Club Maldives” and “STO” tournament.
How can we raise the standard of the competitions? Few elements in the game of FUTSAL that need to be attended to are the competition rules, duration of the game and the competition, pitch, use of qualified match officials and overall organization. FAM has taken measures to ensure that the organization of these competitions is in the right direction.
Standard competition rules have been set up as a guide for organizers to use in their competition. The duration of the game shall be two periods of 20 minutes with stoppage time and also a time-out in each half for both the teams. Accumulated fouls and disciplinary sanctions during the match shall be recorded. Each match shall have the following match officials - a referee, a second referee, a third referee and a timekeeper. To reduce the number of officials, the timekeeper can assume the role of the third referee. To ensure that the match officials are performing accordingly and to provide an assessment report for FAM, a Referee Assessor should also be appointed for each match. This procedure will raise the standard of refereeing.
Pitch used is an infrastructure problem which has financial implication to the game. Government intervention by making new FUTSAL pitch or replacing the surface with a suitable standard surface material will assist in raising the level of the game and also to ensure the safety of the players. Serious consideration should be given by the Ministry concern for the welfare of the public. In the organization of the competition, beside the normal technical and competition committee, other committees need to be considered like the disciplinary, appeal, security, and medical committee. As the level of competition goes higher then the other relevant committee shall be considered. With these suggestions, I believe the Maldivian football especially FUTSAL can be raised to a higher platform and eventually our referees will also be considered for the appointment into the FIFA FUTSAL Referees list.

REF KIDS PROGRAM

"To bend the bamboo, it has to be done when it is still young and tender". Football skills are best exposed to the children when they are young because they learn it faster and once acquired it will last forever.

Likewise, children can be given the exposure and guidance to be developed into good future referees. Knowledge of the laws of the game, its understanding, interpretation and implementation can be taught to children even at the age of nine. “Linesman ship” skills can be easily learned by these youngsters. Teaching them the skills and polishing it through drills will eventually make it into natural skills.

The Referees Department of FAM has planned an introductory course for school children below the age of 16 in April 2009. This program will be called the “Ref Kids” program. The technical department is assisting to gather children who are interested or may not make it to the football team, to give themselves a trial to acquire a new skill. Through refereeing, an individual can be molded into a person with a strong personality, decisiveness and rational in decisions making, quick to react, sharp in thinking, self-confident and of course healthy and fit.
The course will held in the evening, exposing the children with theoretical and practical sessions, video and power point presentations to give a clear understanding and interpretation on the laws of the game while enhancing it through many “hands-on” sessions with the “Ref Kids” handling matches. These young referees will further be enhanced their confidence in the festivals competitions matches for the under 9, 10 and 11 players in the Youth Development Program. Who know among them will the future Maldivian FIFA Referees and Assistant Referees in the World Cup.

Interested? Why not? Contact your coach or teacher or FAM directly.

(amirsw@yahoo.com)

UNDERSTANDING THE OFFSIDE RULES

Being in an offside position is not an offence itself. The player is only penalised if he is involved in active play by interfering with play or interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage by being in that position.

A player who knows that he is in an offside position can indicate to the assistant referee (AR) or the referee by standing still or getting away from the ball, he shall not be penalised. In fact, if his team-mate (refer to picture) who is in an onside position is also running towards the ball, the AR shall not raise his flag immediately. If the player who is offside did not play the ball, play shall proceeds. The reaction of the player who was in an offside position by not wanting to play the ball or moving away from the ball, is considered as intelligent. This is also a tactical play by many coaches who intentionally get the player in to an offside position and the man from behind will leave the defenders off guard.

Coaches who understand this law shall not react furiously at the AR for not raising the flag immediately. This only show his own ignorant and poor understanding of the laws of the game.

VISION MALDIVES and Refereeing

19 February 2009 - Vision Maldives is launched by Ali Azim, the President of Football Association of Maldives. A seven member team from AFC Vision Asia paid an assessment visit to gather information and to have a clear understanding of the football dynamics in Maldives. AFC Vision Asia Director, Brendon Menton disclosed that this initial visit is to look into the level of administration and management of the football association and its competitions, technical and coaching, refereeing, grassroots development and the clubs.
What implications will this entry into Vision Maldives have on refereeing? FAM is committed in developing the refereeing element in football. Ali Azim has taken the pro-active action of employing a Referees Director to ensure that the development and management of refereeing is going the right direction. Programs have already been planned to have courses in the atolls to recruit new referees, identifying potential good referees to be given further training and grooming into better referees. Atolls that need courses for basic referees and FUTSAL referees can contact the department via email amirsw@yahoo.com. Existing referees will be given the guidance and a clear career path to enable themselves to be motivated to improve towards a higher level of refereeing standard. When there are enough referees in the islands and atolls, the Island Tournament held every year will find better standard referees handling the matches. Specialization of task as referees and assistant referees will later on be introduced. All FUTSAL tournament will be closely scrutinized to raise the level of competitions and this initiative will eventually create good future FIFA FUTSAL Referees. FIFA Beach Soccer Referees will later be the target of Vision Maldives.
Having easier said than done, it’s easy “to take the horse to the river but we can’t force the horse to drink from the river”. The referees need to have the aspiration and desire to excel. Referees need to undergo paradigm shift, change of attitude, self-motivation to do the best and self-evaluation if we want to see the vision of having a Maldivian referee in the World Cup becoming a reality. “Spoon-feeding attitude, complacency and blaming others for their own failure” should not be a culture to follow anymore.

The 10 minutes Principle

In refereeing a match, there are certain periods in the match that require the referee to pay special attention. A study by Cardiff University found that this is true. The first 10 minutes of the match, five minutes before and after the break and the last 10 minutes. Often, there are a great number of incidents that happen during these periods. In addition, there are also certain 10 minutes periods that are identified as period where confrontation and problems may arise (for example, after a problem or an important goal scored). Referees need to adapt their control to the tempo of the game played. When things gets ‘hot’, the referee has to fine tune his approach in refereeing. This is not inconsistency but consistent to the rhythm and the misdemeanor or the players. Consistency is the way the referee controls the game and changes it according to the tempo of the play.
If after a strong decision taken by the referee: a penalty, a sent off, disallowing a goal for offside or other offences, the following period of 10 minutes need to be observed by assessor and also the referee, himself. If after that, his decisions are still strong, assertive, consistent and decisive, it shows the maturity of the referee and the composed personality he possessed. If his decisions, that follow are inconsistent, vague, indecisive, slow or error in his decisions or disciplinary sanctions, it only indicate the lack of experience, courage or strength in his characters. As a referee, awareness of these existing periods and reacting accordingly to the temperament of the play is important. Have a stronger action, grip it or let the flow of the game and chopping off any actions or misconducts with stern warning, cards or expulsion. Self-talk and self-motivation will help when you are alone in the middle, where your two assistants can give onlylimited assistances. Lastly, when "the going gets tough, the tough gets going" and of course, be "youself".

The Cost to be a Referee

The cost of Basic Referee Training in England is shown below:
The breakdown of the minimum costs for a new referee taking the basic training course are shown below:

Descriptor: 16 & Over / Under 16
Training Fee: 30.00 / 10.00
Registration Fee: 15.00 / 15.00
CRB Check: 12.00 / 12.00
Child Protection: 12.00 / 12.00
Total Cost: 69.00 / 49.00
* For a child to be a referee he has to pay at least USD 49.00

Modul:
Knowledge of the Laws 2.5 hours
Application of the Laws 15.0 hours
Examination 1.5 hours
In-service Training 2.0 hours (after having referee 6 times 11 aside game)

The above module and conditions is applicable in England and most European countries including the US. These days nothing is free. In fact for things that we need to pay and work for, we will cherish and value it better.

Referee Course in Maldives? It’s free! What is needed is your interest, attendance, involvement and your commitment. Through the years, Football Association of Maldives spent a large amount giving courses for free and on top that the participants were provided with T-shirts, shorts, law book, writing pad and even pen. On completion of the course, a nice certificate of attendance and a certificate of qualification if the pass the written test.

This approach was also followed in the coaching courses. What does FAM gets in the end? Many course–goers collect T-shirts and other equipments and still end up not be a referee or a coach. This has to stop so for future courses, FAM will only provide the basic requirement like writing pad, pen and the law book. After passing the written examination and the attendance required, the other referee’s equipments and certificate will be provided. This will be a better deal and the product will be – qualified referees who have the interest and commitment to progress in their refereeing career. They will be given practice matches in the lines to gain their confident before being tested in the middle and eventually evaluated as a referee for promotion.
Hopefully, FAM can produce many excellent referees through out the islands and atolls for the future. Vision Maldives - "A Maldivian Referee in the World Cup" will come true.

Balancing Training With Rest

Proper training will ensure a person to be conditioned for his sporting activities. Lack of training or wrong methodology used may end up you not reaching the starting line. Extensive overloading may lead to overused injuries and may not bring you the ending line. Positive overloads cause the body to respond with increases in strength, cardiovascular capacity and flexibility. This positive overload, balanced with rest and recovery is the optimal training formula. You will risk overtraining if you attempt maximum effort workouts every day. This can lead to staleness, exhaustion and injury. Rest and recovery, built into your workout program, will keep your workouts productive and your body healthy.

Use "active recovery" to maximize time and avoid over training. Active recovery or active rest is productive recuperation performed between exercises or even between workouts. For example, gentle stretching exercises between strength exercises will allow you to rest those hard working muscles without requiring total inactivity. Active recovery in between interval training (slow jog in between runs) will built up your anaerobic capacity.

Alternate your intensity in training throughout the week. One or two days of hard training should be followed by an equal number of easy days. Don't feel guilty. Rest and recovery is not the same as skipping a workout. Successful athletes and fitness enthusiasts on every level build this crucial component into their training programs. One day rest a week will enable you to have mental and physical recovery.

Choice of activities or exercises within your program should vary. Performing the same type of exercises, at the same intensity every workout, can set you up for burnout or injury. Your body will also adapt to the same routine day after day, and you may experience diminishing returns for your efforts. Changing your activities and your routine will keep your body challenged, as it has to adapt to each new stimulus.

Do not forget to 'listen' to your body. Your body can trigger signals telling you that you are undergoing stress, fatigue or staleness when you legs refuse to run or telling you that you may get an overuse injury if you persist further. So take a rest and you body will rejuvenate you and you will find that the next few days of workout will be fun.

Adapted from "Building Rest and Recovery" - Dave Spence

Overcoming FAILURE

Success does not often come easy. It’s never smooth sailing for everyone. We do not often cruise through the course. At time we crash in the course. I believe that there is always a blessing in disguise. If Allah closes one window he will open up many other windows. At times the thing that we crave for may not be the one that we are blessed with. Many of us go through tough times and we all fail at one time or another. The following are words of advice sent to me by friends may be of use or guide to us in life.

We have to realize that failure does not mean that I am a failure; it only means that I have not succeeded. Failing does not mean that I have been a fool; it just means that I had enough faith to experiment. Failing does not mean that I have been disgraced; it just means that I dared to try. Failing does not mean that I don’t have what it takes; it just means that I must do things differently the next time. Failing does not mean that I am inferior; it just means that I am not perfect. Failure does not mean that I have wasted my time; it just means that I have the reason to start over again. Failing does not mean that I should give up; it just means that I must try harder. Failing does not mean that I will never make it; it just means that I need more patience. Failing does not mean that I am wrong; it just means that I must find a better way. Failing does not mean God has abandoned me; it just means that I must obediently seek his will, and failure is when you fall and refused to get up. So never give up.

“So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief; verily, with every difficulty there is relief.” (Verses 5 & 6 Sura Al Insyirah).

So seek His strength and blessing and may we be blessed by seeking His blessing.

FAM Youth Development Programs

FAM does not need 40 million Mrf to develop the youth in football in Maldives. For the moment in FAM Youth Development Program (YDP) there are the Under 9 year old trainees, U11, U13, U14, U16 and U17. Players only were given two T shirts sponsored by health drink manufacturer; the coaches (24) are paid by FAM. Many other coaches are also doing their part without any coaching license in the island. Parents send their children to these training sessions. The children love to be part of the YDP. Most of the efforts given are out of the love for football not for monetary gain. Strong football skills, strategies and tactics and with football mentality, the game will flourish and grow. Schools are not playing any part in these programs. There is no inter-school competition in Maldives even in the island. Academic qualification is still the in thing. I wonder how many Maldivian top scorers in are driving big cars, having a lot properties or excelling in their career. “Studies have shown that those who excel in their career are among the school drop-outs”. This makes the effort of developing football among children more difficult. Without parental support developing football among youngsters is an uphill task. Football Maldives is definitely climbing up the FIFA ranking – slowly but surely. Pics: YDP U13 given an enjoyable outing in Bandos Island.

Fartlek vs. Intervals

Fartlek is Swedish for "speed play." These are random bursts of speed of random length/duration. It's a fun way of doing some fast running without structure. I used to do it by saying, "I'm going to run fast for the next three telephone poles" or something like that. These runs help train your body to run fast, but without the pressure of running certain distances, number of reps, or times.
Intervals are usually shorter distance fast repetitions, often done on a track. An example would be to run 6x800m with 3 minute recoveries. This means you run 800m fast (at the pace you might run a 5k or faster), then jog 3 minutes really easy to recover. Repeat a total of 6 times. Standard interval distances are 200m, 400m, 800m, 1000m, and 1600m. These are "red-line" type workouts which force your body to run under duress. Interval training increases your overall speed, your VO2max (the maximum amount of oxygen your system can uptake -- more is better), but are usually strenuous enough to not be undertaken more than twice a week, and only then after you've developed a mileage base. These are the tune-up you do in the 8~12 weeks prior to a big race, not a year-round type workouts. The longer your target race, typically the longer the interval. Most interval workouts are done at 5k pace or faster.I should note that intervals do not have to always be distance based, nor do all intervals have to be the same length. Examples would be 5 x 3 minutes fast with 3 minute recoveries, or a time based interval like this one, which is one of my favorites.

Source: http://www.runningahead.com

Understanding for Referee's Cooper Test:
If my target is to run each 400 meters in 1:20 secs. My interval training bout shall be 8 x 400 m at 1:15 secs with a resting interval of 3 minutes in between repetitions or 6 x 800 m at 2:30/2:35 secs with a resting period of 5 minutes. Training must only starts after proper warm ups and for this target your basic fitness level should be 2800 m in 12 minutes, otherwise try not to be too ambitiuos. Build up your target gradually.

malaysian sports' loose cannon: Perjalanan terakhir Nazri

malaysian sports' loose cannon: Perjalanan terakhir Nazri

Training with your Heart Rate

Training will be effective if the correct intensity is maintained for a certain stated time with consistent repetitions. To work with the heart rate, we need to understand a few terminologies in training.

Maximum Heart Rate = 220 - age (If you are 30 years of age your MHR = 190)
Resting Heart Rate (RHR) is your pulse rate taken for 1 minute when you wake up in the morning. Let say it is 60 for a quite active person.
To get your Training Heart Rate at 70% HRmax, here is the formula:
(you can also use 80% or 90% HRmax)

THR = (MHR - RHR) x 70% + RHR
= (190 -60) x 70% + 60
= (130 x 0.7) + 60
= 91 + 60 = 151

* The THR will change when the Resting Heart Rate is change after a month of training.

To improve your cardiovascular endurance, you need to run at pulse rate of 151 beat per minute (about 25 beat per 10 seconds) and maintain it for at least 15 minutes each session. Consistency of training should be at least three times per week.
(Presented in the FAM Sports Injury Course, 5th Feb, 2009).

Refs' Monthly Meeting - First Saturday

All referees are invited to a training session on 7th February 2009, at 6.30 am at the main turf ground to start the monthly meeting rolling. The director will brief on the activities to be carried out on the first Saturday of each month. The FIFA referees and senior referees are expected to organise these meeting later on. This is a platform for all referees to mingle with each other and share their experience in training and also ways to overcome refereeing problems. Problems on refereeing faced during the week will also be discussed for the benefits of other junior referees. The cooperation of the seniors is necessary if they want people to respect our Maldivian referees
Meanwhile a basic referee course will be held for personnel from MNDF this month to cater for their internal needs while hoping that some young referees will transpire and aspire to be excellent referees in the future from this course.

Malaysia’s lost FIFA’s lost.

Just before fajar an unwelcome sms came – what a day. Bitter to swallow the news but it has been fated by Allah the Almighty. I have lost a true friend, a friend in need and a friend indeed. Mohamed Nazri Abdullah, Malaysia’s renowned FIFA Instructor and ex-FIFA Referee passed away and away from home. He was in Spain giving inputs to the instructors in a FIFA Course for Referees Instructors. I wish the family my condolence and may Allah bless his soul and place him among the blessed ones in Jannah. Al Fatihah.

Common Referee's Injury - Plantar Fasciitis (1)

What is plantar fasciitis or heel spurs? During my active days as a referee and also among my colleagues, pain at the bottom of the heel is often the common injury that we suffered. Consulting my sport doctors, they diagnosed it as Plantar Fasciitis or heel spurs. Plantar Fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot. It is an overuse injury causing heel pain which may radiate forward into the foot. Plantar fasciitis can also be known as a heel spur although they are not strictly the same. A heel spur is a bony growth that occurs at the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel bone (calcaneus). A heel spur can occur (with repetitive pulling of the plantar fascia) on a foot with no symptoms at all and a painful heel can have no heel spur present.
What are the signs and symptoms? Heel pain, under the heel and usually on the inside, at the origin of the attachment of the fascia. Sometimes there may also be pain along the outside border of the heel. This may occur due to the offloading the painful side of the heel by walking on the outside border of the foot. It may also be associated with the high impact of landing on the outside of the heel if you have high arched feet. Pain is usually worse first thing in the morning. After a few minutes it eases as the foot gets warmed up, but can get worse again during the day especially if walking a lot.
Plantar fasciitis or heel spurs are common sports which involve running, dancing or jumping. Runners who excessively pronate (feet rolling in or flattening) are particularly at risk as the biomechanics of the foot pronating causes additional stretching of the plantar fascia.
Reducing pain and inflammation Rest from activities that cause pain. Stay off your feet as much as you can. Use crutches if necessary. Maintain fitness by swimming or cycling. Take the opportunity to work on upper body strength. If you cannot stay off your feet then the next best thing is to tape the foot. The taping gives excellent support while allowing the foot to heal. If taping is effective then it is likely that orthotics will also be effective in correcting foot biomechanics and helping to prevent the injury returning once normal training has resumed. Apply cold therapy. Ice massage for 10 minutes to the site of pain - every hour for the first day progressing to three times a day at least. NSAID (Non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication) e.g. ibuprofen may help in the early stages. Always check with a Doctor before taking any medication. Do not take Ibuprofen if you have asthma.
Visit this site for more details: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net

Plantar Fasciitis (2) - Rehabilitation

Source: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net
Aims of rehabilitation: Decrease initial pain and inflammation. Identify biomechanical disfunction. Improve flexibility. Strengthening the Plantar Fascia Return to full fitness. Injury prevention
Reducing pain and inflammation Rest from activities that cause pain. Stay off your feet as much as you can. Use crutches if necessary. Maintain fitness by swimming or cycling. Take the opportunity to work on upper body strength. If you cannot stay off your feet then the next best thing is to tape the foot. The taping gives excellent support while allowing the foot to heal. If taping is effective then it is likely that orthotics will also be effective in correcting foot biomechanics and helping to prevent the injury returning once normal training has resumed. Apply cold therapy. Ice massage for 10 minutes to the site of pain - every hour for the first day progressing to three times a day at least. NSAID (Non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication) e.g. ibuprofen may help in the early stages. Always check with a Doctor before taking any medication. Do not take Ibuprofen if you have asthma.
Heel pads (diagram above) can also help to correct the position of the heel and also reduce the impact to it. Massaging the sole (diagram above) along the plantar fascia muscle will help to soothe or reduce the pain. Massage should be applied as soon as pain will allow - gently at first. Massage can be performed every other day. A days recovery is required between sessions, especially if the massage has been deep.
Return to full fitness When you have gone a week with no pain then you can begin to run again. This should be a gradual process. If you feel pain at any time then go back a step. Running time should be gradually increased. Apply tape to the foot to support it for the first few runs, especially if you do not have orthotics. Ensure you have the correct shoes for your running style or sport. After every training session apply ice to the shin for about ten minutes. Ensure you stretch properly before each training session and after. Hold stretches for about 30 seconds and repeat 5 times.
Prevention of Plantar Fasciitis Increase training gradually. Get a full biomechanical analysis to ensure your feet are functioning properly. You don't build a house without getting the foundations right first. Ensure you have the correct footwear and that it is not too old. A pair of running shoes will have lost most of their cushioning after 400 miles. If you run few miles but your shoes are over 6 months old then they still may need replacing. Continue to stretch properly - especially the plantar fascia and muscles at the back of the lower leg. Get a regular sports massage. This will help keep the muscles of the foot and lower leg in good condition. Apply ice to the foot after training, particularly when returning to fitness. This may help keep inflammation down before it gets bad.