Fukuoka: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Project Future Referees Batch 2014 have concluded their Third Development Course in Fukuoka, Japan where an international youth tournament provided valuable experience to help prepare them further for high-level refereeing in the future.
Twelve participants -- eight men and four women -- from eight Member Associations attended the course which was attached to the Sanix Cup International Youth Football Tournament 2016 held in Global Arena, Munakata.
Sixteen teams featured at the four-day tournament, including a Japanese U-17 side plus three foreign youth teams -- the Uzbekistan U-17 national team, Korea Republic’s U-17 HSFL Selection and an U-17 Beijing Selection.
The six-day course which began March 16 was conducted by FIFA/AFC Instructors John Chia (Singapore) and Mohamed Rodzali Yacob (Malaysia). The participants were given daily refereeing assignments throughout the tournament and their performances were assessed with feedback provided for improvement.
The Sanix Cup was an excellent opportunity for young referees to learn about different styles of playing and team tactics. The quality of the teams in the tournament playing good entertaining football using various game plans provided a perfect leaning platform for a ‘tactical approach’ to the game. The cool Fukuoka weather and different food was another challenge for the participants who had to learn how to adapt and prepare for games in conditions foreign to them.
The participants were appointed to handle games together with referees from Kyushu FA. Here the participants learned how to work with new counterpart and to build efficient refereeing teams. The pre-match briefings were vital for enhancing their team-work and ensure that their respective roles in the game were carried out competently. This not only gave them an opportunity to share experiences and exchange knowledge but also to develop friendship and establish networks.
The course also included theoretical, practical and debriefing sessions. Besides updates on refereeing technical matters, the course also trained the referees to manage their time and make specific preparations in all areas related to refereeing.
Communication being an essential refereeing skill was further emphasised as quick and effective communication is vital for referees conducting their duties on and off the field. In this international environment, opportunity was provided for the participants to hone their communication skills with players from different nations and cultures who spoke different languages.
Submission of online reports and feedback was another area that was touched on. The ability to provide accurate match details in their reports was further enhanced.
Another important component in this course within the two-year AFC Project Future Referees programme was character building. Values such as strength, humility, confidence, discipline, respect and honesty were stressed as key elements in high-level refereeing. They have to be independent as personal conduct and time management is their own responsibility. Referees have to be good leaders and thus attention was given as to how they manage people and situations. They were encouraged to challenge themselves by striving to achieve a higher standard of excellence.
Course instructor Chia advised the participants to develop their strength and use the unique experience in the Third Development Course to make themselves not only better referees but also to develop their personality by becoming stronger mentally and physically. Rodzali further added that the participants should not wait until the last minute to prepare for top-level refereeing, but instead start now. He urged them to use the knowledge gained from the environment in this unique tournament and course to enrich themselves and work towards achieving their goals as top-level referees
Batch 2014 were the sixth group from the AFC Project Future Referees programme participating in the Sanix International Youth Football Tournament. The first was Batch 2008 who participated in the 2010 tournament.
Source: the-afc.com