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Ten FIFA facts about running

Soccer ball on grass with copy space

As we all gear up for several weeks of exciting FIFA Women’s World Cup action, we thought we’d take a look at soccer from a running perspective – after all, running serves as the foundation of the game. It is pretty safe to say that if sports were people, soccer and running would definitely be friends. Here are 10 surprising running-related facts about soccer.

We’ll be cheering for the Canadian women, especially after their unforgettable nail-biting Olympic final. Plus, the team is a cast of characters that are fun to watch.

1)   The average distance run by a midfielder during a game is approximately 11K. That means in less than four games a player will have run a marathon.

2)   The weight of a soccer cleat is approximately nine ounces, while the weight of a track spike is around six ounces.

3)   The team that wins the Women’s World Cup will be awarded $2 million, while the winner of the Boston Marathon was awarded $150,000.

4)   On average, players sprint every 90 seconds.

5)   Of their total time running, players spend around seven per cent of it running backwards.

6)   The length of a standard soccer field is between 100-130 yards.

7)   On average, a player only controls the ball for two per cent of the total distance they run. The other 98 per cent is spent keeping up with the play.

8)   Players change direction every five seconds, approximately .

9)   Goalkeepers can run up to 5K during the course of a 90-minute match.

10) FIFA has a fitness test to determine whether or not a referee is eligible to officiate a World Cup Game.

FIFA Referee Fitness Test

Give this workout a try to see if you are fit enough to be a FIFA referee:

You must complete six 40m sprints, with 90 seconds of rest in between. The sprints must be completed in less than six seconds each.

Ten minutes later, you must complete a fartlek run of 10 laps on the track, alternating between 150m at fast pace (in less than 30 seconds) and 50m walking (in less than 35 seconds). This means you will complete 4K with an average pace of 3:19 per kilomtere for the running portions.

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