Injuries Among Referees

Referees, like other sport enthusiasts are also prone to injury. Injuries that may occur to referees are normally overuse injuries, also called cumulative trauma disorder, which is a category of sports related injuries that result from repetitive use. Although some may be due to acute injury but overuse injury are more distinguish. An acute injury is an injury with a sudden onset, usually as a result of trauma. Some causes of acute injuries are burns, electrical shock, car accidents, falls, sprains and strains, and fights. In all cases, a single incident causes an injury and the severity of the injury can vary.
An overuse injury is any type of muscle or joint injury, such as tendinitis or a stress fracture, that's caused by repetitive trauma. An overuse injury typically stems from training errors, technique errors, surface of training, improper shoes worn, lack of adequate rest and other chronic reasons.
Sudden increase in the workload or intensity, improper shoes, running on hard surface, improper terrain or continuous pounding of the legs may cause shinsplints, Achilles tendonitis, heel spurs or even patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) or runner's knee.
Overuse injuries can be avoided. It's always a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting a new type of physical activity — especially if you have a medical condition that may predispose you to an overuse injury. You may need to correct imbalances in flexibility and strength or, if you've had a previous injury, work to restore range of motion, muscle strength and stability. Consider and make sure you wear proper shoes for the activity. Pace yourself. If you're starting a new physical activity program, avoid becoming a weekend warrior. Compressing your physical activity for the week into two days can lead to an overuse injury. Be consistent in your training schedule and alternate hard workouts with medium or light training for recuperate.
Gradually increase your activity level or intensity of work load. Mix up your routine. Instead of focusing on one type of exercise, consider combining two or more types of physical activity, also known as cross-training. Doing a variety of low-impact activities — such as walking, biking, swimming and water jogging — in moderation can help prevent overuse injuries by allowing your body to use different muscle groups. Strive to include aerobic exercise, strength training, stretching, core stability and balance training elements in your routine.
Schedule your training tailored for your own needs and your own progress in your fitness level. Following others in training may jeopardise your safety or progress as they may be of different level of fitness. Consult your fitness trainer or read about it from the Internet.
Listen to your body for at time your body will give the signal when rest is needed. "No pain no gain" is not always a good advice to follow. Muscle soreness and injuries differ in signs and symptoms. Insufficient training or wrong training may not bring you to the end of the race or even not bring you to the starting line of the race.

Adapted from:
Overuse Injuries - how to prevent training injuries.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/overuse-injury/my01092