UEFA Referee Education Programmes
David Elleray – UEFA Referees’ Committee
David Elleray
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Former FIFA and English PL referee; school teacher for 32 years
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Chairman of Referee Committee
President of Referees Association
Chairman of Independent Schools FA
Vice Chairman of Football Regulatory Authority
Football Development Committee
Chairman – Association of Elite Sports Officials (AESO)
For UEFA • Referees Committee
• Talent and Mentors sub-committee
• Head of UEFA Centre of Refereeing Excellence
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FIFA - Technical Refereeing expert
IFAB - member International Football Association Board (responsible for
Laws of the Game for the whole world)
FIFA and UEFA
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FIFA is the world football governing body
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Each continent has its own football governing body:
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Africa – CAF
Asia – AFC
South America – CONMEBOL
Central and North America – CONCACAF
Pacific – Oceania
Europe - UEFA
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Each country has own governing body – ‘national association’ (NA)
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UEFA has 53 NA members
All international referees and assistant referees are ‘licensed’ each
year as FIFA referees or assistant referees
UEFA Referee Education
UEFA’s education programme has 2 main parts:
• Education of FIFA match officials
• Education of match officials by National Associations
through the UEFA Referee Convention
UEFA’s education programme controlled by Referees
Committee and sub Committees:
• Talent and Mentors
• Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
• Observers
• Referee Convention
• Women
• Futsal
Education of FIFA officials
UEFA’s education programme of its FIFA officials has many parts:
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Referee courses including Women + Futsal Referees
Talent and Mentor programme
Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
Observers Education
Referee Convention
Incidents from UEFA matches (FAME)
Publications, directives and guidelines
Fitness programme and fitness monitoring
Referee courses
UEFA has courses for specific groups of referees :
• Elite referees (Summer and Winter)
• New FIFA referees
• Referees and Assistants in Talent programme
• Women referees
• Futsal referees
• Referees and assistants selected for UEFA tournaments:
EURO finals, u21, u19, u17 finals (Men and Women)
Referee courses
UEFA courses involved all/some of the following:
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Plenary sessions – presentations
Group discussions
Analysis of match incidents
Fitness training and testing
Psychological preparation
Lifestyle advice
Input from coaches, players etc…
Integrity and media guidelines
Administrative matters
Talent and Mentor programme
UEFA’s education programme includes identifying and developing
Talented, younger referees and assistants:
• 10 Referees with one assistant from their country
• 2 Elite referees from top countries (ENG, FRA, GER, ITA, ESP.)
• Experienced Mentors
The programme involves:
• Annual 3 day course
Talent and Mentor programme
UEFA’s education programme includes identifying and developing
Talented, younger referees and assistants:
• 10 Referees with one assistant from their country
• 2 Elite referees from top countries (ENG, FRA, GER, ITA, ESP.)
• Experienced Mentors
The programme involves:
• Annual 3 day course
• Mentors watching their Talents in UEFA and domestic matches
• Talents sending match DVDs to Mentors
• Discussion of matches and Observer reports
• Simultaneously watching TV match and analysis
• Invitation to domestic course of Mentor’s NA
Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
UEFA runs a programme to prepare potential FIFA officials :
• Every UEFA country can send a trio (referee + 2 assistants)
to CORE every year
• Officials usually below 32 years of age
• Usually officiating in top division (or 2nd division of big
countries)
• Officials have the potential to become FIFA officials within
a few years
• Must have a good basic level of English
• Focus also on coach education and development
Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
Course organisation and structure :
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Courses are based a UEFA HQ in Nyon, near Geneva
Introductory course – 10 days
Consolidation course - 8 days
8 x referee trios (24 officials) per course
2 x Course Leaders
4 x referee coaches (from different countries)
2 x assistant referee coaches
2 x fitness coaches
Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
Introductory Course (Learning):
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6 main presentations by Course Leaders
Video test on match situations
Fitness training and preparation
Medical and flexibility examinations
English assessment
Practical (on field) exercises (filmed)
Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
Introductory Course (Learning):
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6 main presentations by Course Leaders
Video test on match situations
Fitness training and preparation
Medical and flexibility examinations
English assessment
Practical (on field) exercises (filmed)
Refereeing matches in Swiss and French leagues
All matches filmed (2 cameras) for analysis
Self-assessment and target setting
Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
Period between Introductory and Consolidation courses:
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Work on learning from Introductory course
Fitness training
Monthly report on targets to coaches
Send coach 2 DVDs of match with interesting situations
English lessons (Skype)
Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
Consolidation Course (assessing) :
• Analysis of domestic match situations
• Medical and flexibility re-examination
• Practical (on field) exercises (filmed)
• Refereeing matches in Swiss and French leagues
Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE)
Consolidation Course (assessing) :
• Analysis of domestic match situations
• Medical and flexibility re-examination
• Practical (on field) exercises (filmed)
• Refereeing matches in Swiss and French leagues
• Fitness training and test
• English assessment test
At the end of the course each participants receives either:
UEFA Diploma or UEFA Certificate of Attendance
Observers Education
UEFA’s education programme relies on Observers
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Present at all UEFA matches
Neutral nationality from clubs and referee team
Spend all time with referee team
Detailed de-brief after the match using DVD
Detailed report (and mark) to UEFA within 36 hours
Referee accesses report via FAME
• UEFA Observes are graded on quality of their reports etc..
• Regular courses (involving match analysis) to ensure high
standards
Incidents from UEFA matches on FAME
UEFA makes its opinion on key match decisions clear using
FAME:
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Key match incidents uploaded
Opinion of Referees’ Committee made clear
Referees expected to check FAME regularly
If very important new information on FAME then
referees alerted by e mail
Publications, directives and guidelines
UEFA communicates its regulations, guidelines, protocols etc..
In a number of ways:
• Annual Handbook
• Guidelines via e mail and FAME
• Protocols by e mail and FAME
UEFA is not allowed to give interpretations of the Laws
of the Game – this is only permitted by FIFA and the
International Football Association Board (IFAB)
Fitness programme and fitness monitoring
UEFA uses a number of fitness experts and coaches who:
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Put fitness programmes on FAME
E mail individual fitness programmes
Receive and analyse polar heart rate data
Advise Referee Committee on fitness test levels
Oversee fitness training and testing
Give advice on injury prevention and treatment
Give advice on lifestyle – eating, drinking ……
Education through UEFA Referee Convention
UEFA’s Referees Convention aims to improve refereeing
throughout its 53 countries. It has a number of parts:
• establish a refereeing organisation in each national football
association not controlled or influenced by other bodies such as
the government, leagues or clubs;
• guarantee a unified level of education of match officials and
refereeing specialists by delivering a comprehensive education
programme from grassroots to professional football;
• continuously improve the status and quality of the match officials
and refereeing specialists;
• define the legal and professional status of match officials in the
different member associations
Education through UEFA Referee Convention
Education should be uniform across the national association and
operate on a ‘top-down’ basis.
Initial education
This should consist of a standard, nationwide introductory course of
at least 15 hours led by qualified referee instructors. Topics should
include the Laws of the Game, match administrative tasks and a
fitness test.
Observed match practice
New recruits should be observed in at least one match before
receiving their refereeing licence.
Education through UEFA Referee Convention
Education programme
Refresher courses should be held annually with content set
nationally and led by qualified referee instructors. In addition, there
should be higher-level courses for promoted referees.
Course content
National associations should keep a record of the content for all
their referee courses at the various levels. All course content should
be provided by one source: the national refereeing organisation.
Instructors
National associations should maintain a database of local, regional
and national instructors, qualified to instruct at their level and be
used regularly. After an initial course, instructors should attend
annual refresher courses by the national refereeing organisation.
Education through UEFA Referee Convention
To ensure that the elite match officials meet regularly and are
managed by dedicated professionals. Basic requirements
Referee manager
One refereeing specialist should be employed in a full-time position
to manage the appointments, administration and organisation of the
elite match officials.
Support scheme
The elite match officials should have the support of a referee
instructor (with links to UEFA), a physical trainer / sports scientist,
tactical coach, mental coach and an expert in nutrition.
Education through UEFA Referee Convention
Meeting frequency
The frequency of meetings will be determined by the refereeing
budget; elite referees should meet at least every 2 months; elite
assistant referees at least 4 times a year. Elite referee observers
should attend meetings with referees at least twice a year.
Meeting content
Meetings should cover: learning from experience (video analysis of
matches), discussion groups and fitness (test or training). Tactical
awareness (theory and practical), mental preparation and media
training. Nutrition should also be included .
Uniformity
Education should be uniform across all national associations and be
‘top-down’ based on UEFA guidelines and instructions.
Education through UEFA Referee Convention
Convention membership
National Associations apply for membership and they are then
‘audited’. If all areas are satisfied membership is recommended to
UEFA Referee Committee and then to UEFA Executive
Finance
Once a National Associations is accepted they receive a ‘signing on’
payment and then an annual payment of 100,000 Euro. This is
additional money (not to replace existing schemes)
Inspections
UEFA’s panel of experts visit and inspect National Associations to
ensure that the terms of the Convention are being kept
Summary
UEFA’s comprehensive education programme has 2 main parts:
Education of match officials through the National Associations
through the UEFA Referee Convention
Education of FIFA match officials
• Referee courses
• Talents and Mentors
• CORE
• Observers Education
• Incidents from UEFA matches (FAME)
• Publications, directives and guidelines
• Fitness programme and fitness monitoring