Eñaut Ozaeta-Beaskoetxea¹, Daniel Castillo², Raul Reina³, Matías Henríquez⁴, Ibai Errekagorri⁵, Javier Yanci⁵

¹Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
²Valoración del Rendimiento Deportivo, Actividad Física y Salud, y Lesiones Deportivas (REDAFLED), Faculty of Education, University of Valladolid, Campus of Soria, Spain
³Department of Sport Sciences, Sports Research Centre, Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain
⁴Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Santiago, Chile
⁵Sports and Physical Exercise Research Group (GIKAFIT), Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

Greater Goal Difference is Associated with Lower Physical Demands in Cerebral Palsy Football Referees

Monten. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2026, 15(2), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/mjssm.260907

Abstract

This study examines the association between match outcome variables, total goals, goal difference, and the physical demands placed on referees in cerebral palsy (CP) football. Thirteen international referees were monitored via global positioning devices during 42 official matches at the 2022 CP Football World Cup and World Championships. Physical demands, including distances covered at various speeds and acceleration/deceleration metrics, were analyzed. Results revealed moderate to high negative correlations between goal difference and total, explosive, walking, jogging, me- dium-intensity running, high-intensity running and sprinting distances; maximum speed, accelerations, low intensity acceleration in zones 1 and 2, low intensity deceleration in zones 1 and 2, and player load (ρ = -0.30 to -0.54; p <0.001 to 0.04). In contrast, total goals showed only isolated, moderate correlations with medium-intensity running distance and deceleration Z1 (ρ = -0.33; p < 0.03 to 0.04). These findings indicate that match competitiveness, reflected by the goal difference, is a key factor associated with referees’ physical workload in CP football, with closer matches eliciting higher physical demands on the referees. The results highlight the importance of considering match context in referees’ training, recovery management, and match allocations, ensuring they are adequately prepared for the high demands of closely contested matches and can recover effectively during international-level CP football competitions.

Keywords

soccer, contextual factors, performance, external load, officials

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