REFEREE DEVELOPMENT

A full season of football in 2022 saw the return of Referee Development tournaments such as the National Youth Championships, in-person education and training for referees at community and state level, as well as involvement in the Futsal Premier League.

Expanded competitions and increased player participation saw a greater need for higher referee numbers. Throughout the year, 121 entry level courses were run, and Football NSW implemented a marketing campaign to promote becoming a referee to the current player base in an effort to drive referee numbers up for 2023.

Acknowledging that it has become increasingly difficult for referee branches to attract new referees, Football NSW has moved to eliminate the $45 referee capitation fee for 2023 to lower the barrier of entry for prospective referees.

Community Refereeing

A total of 153 referee courses and ten referee assessor courses were conducted across NSW in 2022, largely run by referee branches. As always, Football NSW Referees Department would like to thank the tireless work of referee branches across the state and the individuals who volunteer their time and energy into developing referees within their areas.

Referees and their commitment to their local community were strongly represented at this year’s Football NSW State Dinner. Theo Dracopoulos from Far South Coast Referees Association and Matt Staples from Sutherland Shire Football Referees Association (and Blacktown District Soccer Football

Association’s current Referee Coordinator) were awarded the inaugural Future Leader Awards for their exceptional leadership and commitment to football. Phil Torpy from Football South Coast received the State Award for his contribution to football over the years.

Female Referees

Milestones for female match officials were also achieved across the state. Female Central Coast Football referees had the opportunity to meet FIFA officials refereeing the Matildas v Thailand match in Gosford was a major news story.

The first all-female referee crew officiated an M-League match in the Macarthur Football Association and over 40 female referees attended a special Female Football Week training session in May.

At the NPL NSW level, 2022 saw the largest inclusion of female match officials on NPL NSW panels.

Referee Education & Training

Throughout the 2022 season, Football NSW Referees Department conducted training sessions across the state from Central Coast referees, all the way down to the Far South Coast Referees Association. These sessions included upgrade courses, assessor courses, branch training and presentations at seminars.

Online courses have continued to prove their relevance in increasing accessibility of education and training with over 100 people participating in referee courses run via digital classrooms through Football NSW.

The football governing body supplied referees and referee coaches to both Bathurst Cup and Proctor Park Challenge in 2022. For both tournaments, referees were taken into a training camp environment where they received feedback on each of their matches from experienced referee coaches, including those who currently work within the A-Leagues and NPL NSW competitions. Over 50 referees at each tournament took charge of over 400 games across both weekends.

Football NSW Referee Academy

The Football NSW Referee Academy saw 23 match officials involved in the program in 2022.

The Academy trains and prepares selected referees for success at state and national levels, with the potential to be identified by Football Australia as future A-Leagues Women, Men and Youth referees and assistant referees. Since its inception, 16 Academy graduates have been selected onto national panels.

This year, the National Youth Championship (Girls and Boys) competitions returned after they were cancelled in previous years due to COVID-19. These tournaments are an incredible experience for up-and-coming referees, giving them access to high quality games as well as Football Australia and A-Leagues referee coaches who provide feedback on each of their matches.

Six female and six male referees attended the NYC Girls and NYC Boys respectively representing Football NSW. All match officials were either current, or graduating members of the Academy and represented Football NSW strongly with Molly Godsell from Nepean Referees Group being announced as the Referee of the Tournament for the Under 14 Girls age group.

Looking to 2023, over 100 nominations were received from match officials across the state for positions in the Academy next year. Trials included Laws of the Game quizzes, speed, agility, and fitness testing as well as game viewings. Congratulations to the nine referees who have been selected.

Referee Development Panel (RDP)

The Referee Development Panel (RDP) had another successful year in 2022. Despite wet weather and field closures restricting training to indoors and online sessions, the RDP still had the opportunity to learn from technical training sessions, presentations delivered by NPL NSW and A-Leagues match officials, and game day coaching. Fortnightly sessions were conducted throughout the season on topics such as handball, match management and positioning.

Selection to National Panels and FIFA

This year, two additional match officials from NSW were selected onto the A-Leagues panels. Hassan Jomaa from St George Referees Association and Isabella Mossin from North West Sydney Football Referees Association were rewarded for their ongoing dedication and development to refereeing with selection onto the A-League Men’s and

A-Leagues Women’s fourth official panels respectively. The addition of Jomaa and Mossin meant there is a representation of 26 NSW match officials on the national stage for the 22/23 A-Leagues season.

At the international level, Kearney Robinson was selected as part of the 28 Australian match officials appointed to FIFA’s Panel of International Referees for 2022. Robinson, originally from the North West Sydney Football Referees Association, received his FIFA badge as an assistant referee. He joins NSW peers Kurt Ams (Referee), Lance Greenshields (Assistant Referee), Sarah Ho (Assistant Referee), Andrew Best (Futsal Referee), Jonathon Moore (Futsal Referee), Ryan Shepheard (Futsal Referee) and Darius Turner (Futsal Referee) in being recognised by FIFA.