Members Blogs

The Euro 2024 match officials have been announced. Below the list with referees for the European Championships in Germany. The full list with all officials can be downloaded at the Uefa website. What are the biggest surprises for you? The referees and their assistant referees Video match officials The full list with all officials can be downloaded at the Uefa website. Continue reading...

FIFA referee István Kovács shares his favourite fitness exercises with the readeres of my blog. It’s a high-intensity training sessions and below he explains how it goes and why he loves it. István Kovács is a Romanian Elite referee for Uefa and he officiated the 2022 Conference League final. He also has been to several final tournaments now. Because he’s top fit, I asked him to share his favourite exercise with me. “My favorite is exercise is 10 times 400 m run”, he says. That’s one lap on the athletics track. And what is his pace? “400 m in 70 sec and 1 min recovery between each lap.” It is a HI training session and it helps me during the matches, because it keeps my heart rate high for long time. I feel never tired during the...

Week 7 Laws of the Game Quiz 2023-2024. A new quiz season has started and in 2024 I’ll publish some weekly quizzes again after a while not being so active. Every Tuesday a new quiz. And more stuff will be on the blog as well, with weekly fitness Fridays. Happy I am back at it now 🙂 Video for question 1 The next quiz will be published next Tuesday. You can always practise previous quizzes on this overview page. And after submitting your answers, you can see the correct answers immediately. Video is starting at 1m17s with a possible penalty incident in the penalty area of Napoli Quiz Laden… Continue reading...

Explosive movement as assistant referee is very important. Just after the deep pass, you have to sprint and keep up with the secondlast defender. But how do you train for this? Angelo Doyle, CONCACAF and FIFA Assistant Referee shares how he works on this explosiveness. Physical exercises without running “As an assistant referee explosive movement is an action we do all the time during a game”, says Angelo Doyle. “Therefore alot of core activity is needed”. Angelo Doyle highlights some core stability exercises he does: Not familiair with them? Google the names and you see what they are and how to perform them. On my blog you also find more about core stability for referees. Short sprints to work on explosive movement But it’s not just...

HI exercise for referees – example explained by Werner Helsen, UEFA fitness expert. It’s also shown in the story on what a professional referee training programme looks like. Explanation This box-to-box exercise is for referees. The referee starts near the sidelines, in the extension of the penalty area line. On both sides of the field […] Continue reading...

The match-decision-making exercise for referees is highlighted in the story with Werner Helsen on a professional referee training programme. “This type of exercise is not physically challenging, but important for team-decision making. Hereby, both referees and assistant referees have to fulfill their role”. How the match decision-making exercise goes Referees do a speed and agility […] Continue reading...

Match preparation for referees. Some great examples from top referee Clément Turpin, who’ll officiate this week’s World Cup Qualifier between The Netherlands and Norway. You’ll read how a top referee prepares for a game. Clément Turpin organises the match prepration around 4 topics. He shares his experiences in the documentary Men in the Middle by […] Continue reading...

Week number Laws of the Game Quiz 2021-2022. Video for question 1 The next quiz will be published next Tuesday. You can always practise previous quizzes on this overview page. And after submitting your answers, you can see the correct answers immediately. Quiz Laden… Continue reading...

What is resistance training? This is a form of training that increases muscle strength and endurance through applying resistance to the muscle during muscle contractions. Commonly associated with lifting weights in the gym. This helps build muscle strength and size, meaning your muscles can work more efficiently. More efficient muscles means less energy used and […] Continue reading...

Week 10 Laws of the Game Quiz 2023-2024. A new quiz season has started. Next Tuesday a new quiz. Video for question 1 The next quiz will be published next Tuesday. You can always practise previous quizzes on this overview page. And after submitting your answers, you can see the correct answers immediately. Video is starting at 15 seconds with a challenge in the penalty area Quiz Laden… Continue reading...

A professional referee training programme is built around match days. There are sessions to prepare for the game itself, but also a lot of attention for recovery. Werner Helsen talks us through a week of training for top match officials. The primary focus is on the next match day., says Werner Helsen. During a tournament […] Continue reading...

Watching other referees makes you improve, says Russian referee Sergei Karasev. On the Uefa website he said that he watched a lot of Champions League matches on tv as a young referee. He learned from all of them and put new tools in his toolbox after every game he watched. Although there wasn’t someone who […] Continue reading...

Week 18 Laws of the Game Quiz 2021-2022. Video for question 1 Clip starts at 1 minute and 19 seconds. The next quiz will be published next Tuesday. You can always practise previous quizzes on this overview page. And after submitting your answers, you can see the correct answers immediately. Quiz Laden… Continue reading...

Referee Felix Brych ends his international career in 2021 with the Champions League game Real Madrid versus Internazionale. After a few unsuccesful tournaments, he announced his retirement after Euro 2020. “I was still missing a big, successful international tournament in my career. Now my career feels perfect”. In this story some pinnacles of his outstanding […] Continue reading...

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Referee development is crucial to become a better referee. But it might be difficult for you to find the best ways to progress. In this blog Carol Anne Chenard shares a few techniques and will give you tips that get in the right mindset to develop and improve. I’ve spoken with the former Canadian top […] Continue reading...

Referee Damir Skomina announced his retirement. The Slovenian top referee had to undergo another medical operation and decided to quit, despite “his will, desire and effort” to continue. That’s what he wrote on his Instagram @damir.skomina. He has some great tips for you too when you struggle with an injury. Career of the Slovenian match official […] Continue reading...

Serie A referee IBC and VAR centre. That’s where the modern technology for referees is situated. In this video you’ll get a nice view about this centre. Plus Gianluca Rocchi shares his experiences. Continue reading...

Week 8 Laws of the Game Quiz 2023-2024. A new quiz season has started. Every Tuesday a new quiz. Video for question 1 The next quiz will be published next Tuesday. You can always practise previous quizzes on this overview page. And after submitting your answers, you can see the correct answers immediately. Video is starting at 1m19s. Quiz Laden… Continue reading...

Reindeer FC are meeting their rivals of Snowmen United in the decisive final of this year's Christmas Cup. The tournament's Referee Committee, headed by the notoriously demanding Chief Officer called 'Krampus', has selected 'Santa Claus' of the USA to officiate the game. He is accompanied by his assistant referees called 'Knecht Ruprecht' from Germany and 'Zwarte Piet' of the Netherlands. Continue reading...