What Do Referees Do Between Periods of a Game?

When the whistle blows for halftime (or intermission, if you’re hockey-inclined) everyone has something to do. Coaches may be interviewed before heading to the locker room to talk to their team. Players listen to their coaches, fuel up, and prepare their bodies for the rest of the game. Spectators might run to the bathroom, grab refreshments and merch, and watch any provided halftime entertainment. But what about the referees?

Much like the athletes, referees have to work hard to keep up with the pace of the game. And unlike the players, they don’t have substitutes who will step in to allow them to take a break on the bench. According to a 2021 meta-analysis, professional soccer referees in Europe and South America run an average of nearly 6.5 miles (or 10.5 kilometers) in a match. A study of professional basketball referees in Brazil showed them running up to 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) per game.

In order to get the rest they need, referees working in professional sports typically have a locker room they can retreat to between periods. They’ll sip on water or Gatorade and sometimes wolf down a quick snack.

The time between periods also provides referees the opportunity to discuss the game and the calls they’ve made so far. NBA refs are taught to prepare for this moment throughout the first half of the game: They keep track of instances they want to review and then watch them from multiple angles on TVs provided in their locker room. That gives them context in case they need to readjust for the second half. This analysis also helps them prepare for the game report they have to submit to the league after they also review the second half. It’s not a total break for NFL officials either, who must test the PSI levels of the footballs to ensure they’re properly inflated before the second half begins.

It’s a lot to get done in a short amount of time. NBA and soccer halftimes are 15 minutes, the NFL gets 13 minutes, and NHL games have two 18-minute intermissions. Plus, referees have to return to the field of play with time to start the game again, so they don’t get the entire halftime to themselves. But at least some referees get breaks, unlike baseball umpires, who stay on the field for whole games. (Lucky for them, baseball games are getting shorter.)

So while it’s undoubtedly a cool job, professional refereeing is no walk in the park. There’s a lot to be done and a lot of steps to be taken in a single game. Halftime is only a brief break that provides limited rest.

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