The treatment of referees and a slowdown of those willing to enter the vital side of all sports has been halted by the FAI through their No Ref No Game campaign.

Over the course of 2023, 703 referees were trained on the FAI online referee course, of which 88 were female. This is a near 20 percent increase from 2022 when 592 referees trained and 2021 where 583 completed the course.

The course is made up of three sections. The first part explores the laws of the game and participants are assessed on their understanding of each law. This is followed by a six hour practical workshop (via Zoom) looking at the more complex laws of the game before trainees finish up with an online exam to test their learnings.

“It is hugely encouraging to see more people pick up the whistle and help football across Ireland,” said Referee Programme Co-Ordinator Rob Hennessy.

“Referees are vital to uphold the integrity and fairness of the game and the more people training to become referees, the more games are played at a higher level.”

“The by-product of this is greater understanding between officials, players and coaches. It is also another way for people to begin or remain involved in football and the growing trend of participation numbers is something we want to see continue.”

“It’s vital at all levels of football that we have referees for our games,” added FAI CEO Jonathan Hill.

“It is encouraging to see this growth in referee numbers but it is also critical that we continue this growth, then focus on retention and finally ensure all referees, male and female, get the respect they deserve for the role that play.”

 

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