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Referee Tran Dinh Thinh officiates at V-League 2024-2025. Photo: Duc Dong |
Before each V-League season, the VFF and the V-League organizers, Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF), hold a training program for referees. The VFF's referee operations department plans the process. A referee qualified to work in the V-League must pass a theoretical test, a football law knowledge test, and a fitness test.
The VFF referee committee informs referees of the training schedule a month in advance, giving them time to regain fitness after the break. However, like players, referees are also required to maintain their fitness to officiate in tournaments throughout the year.
Referees must also have a health check certificate according to Circular 32/2023/TT-BYT. According to FIFA guidelines, parameters related to musculoskeletal system, heart, teeth, eyes, blood pressure, and weight should show no abnormalities. The VFF Sports Medicine Department then assesses the health check certificates to ensure referees are eligible for the fitness assessment.
The first test for the main referee is running 6 times at a distance of 40 m, with a maximum time of 6.1 seconds per attempt. Between each run, there's a maximum 60-second rest for the referee to walk back to the starting line.
The second test is an endurance test, running 10 laps on a standard field, equivalent to 4 km. This includes variable speed sections: running 75 m in 15 seconds and walking 25 m in 20 seconds.
Assistant referees perform the CODA Test, with 5 short-distance runs within a specified time and 10 laps similar to the main referee.
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Referees undergo fitness tests before the V-League 2025-2026 at the Hanoi Athletics Palace on 3/8/2025. Photo: VFF |
Northern Vietnam experienced an extreme heat wave due to the influence of a hot low-pressure area in the west. The highest daily temperature ranged from 35 to 37 degrees Celsius, reaching over 38 degrees Celsius in some areas, with 80% humidity. Therefore, the fitness test at the Hanoi Athletics Palace was moved up to 5 a.m. on August 3.
According to a VFF member, before the test, referees had their blood pressure and pulse checked. The test proceeded only if these parameters were normal.
For the first time, VFF and VPF prepared four ambulances. Emergency teams were equipped with respiratory and circulatory support equipment. This preparation was seen as a lesson learned from the incident in 2018 when assistant referee Duong Ngoc Tan died of a stroke during the fitness test due to a lack of an ambulance.
VPF also installed surveillance cameras at four corners of the field to monitor the testing process. Some referees felt this added pressure. However, this was communicated at the opening ceremony on August 2. The VFF and VPF aim to prevent cheating, such as referees starting before the signal. The video recordings serve as reports and for gaining experience for future events.
Referee Tran Dinh Thinh started his test in the second round, around 5:45 to 6:15 a.m. He collapsed during the 7th lap of the second test. The referee, from Dong Nai province, received first aid and was taken to the hospital but passed away at 2 a.m. today. Mr. Thinh was 43 years old, just two years away from the mandatory retirement age for professional referees.
Reviewing the fitness test process, a former referee suggested that the VFF and VPF should tighten regulations regarding health check certificates. "In addition to general health checks, referees should have centralized checkups at a reputable hospital where the organizers can monitor the process," he told VnExpress this afternoon. "The income from officiating in the V-League is considerable, so referees might be tempted to downplay health concerns during their personal checkups."
After yesterday morning's fitness test, 55 out of 62 referees and assistant referees passed, a rate of 88.7%.
The referees continued the training program until August 7, covering competition rules, referee team coordination, the 2025/26 National Professional Football Tournament Regulations, and a theoretical test related to VAR. Referees also analyzed and learned from typical situations from the previous season to consolidate knowledge and improve practical handling on the field.
| VPF and VFF will cover medical expenses and funeral arrangements for Mr. Thinh, and deploy personnel from both northern and southern offices to Dong Nai to support his family with the funeral. A VFF representative said this tragic incident is a lesson for all tournament participants, including referees, to be extremely cautious and aware that physical activities always carry potential cardiovascular risks, even without prior warning signs. Thus, attention to even the smallest health changes is crucial for safety during training. The VFF and VPF will continue to strengthen all activities in the health monitoring process, providing guidance and enhancing medical services, and advising referees on physical preparation for the new season. |
Hieu Luong
