Futsal referees at the ready

OFC Futsal Championship Fiji 2009

The referees charged with officiating this week’s OFC Futsal Championship Fiji 2009 are sure to be on the ball after taking part in the FIFA Sub-Regional Futsal Referee Instructor Course which continues this weekend.

Led by Referee Development Officer Massimo Raveino and Referee Instructor Neil Poloso, the course runs until Tuesday 7 July and is being held at the Vodafone Arena in Suva where the OFC Futsal Championship kicks off on Monday.

But as the excitement builds towards the championship, it is also a time of sadness and reflection for course participants as the funeral of Fiji referee Leone Rakoroi is held in Nadi today. Rakoroi – one of the Oceania's most respected referees – died last Sunday after being involved in a car accident. He will be well remembered by the entire Oceania football family.

At this week’s course in Suva, around 20 match officials from nine Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) member associations are taking part.

Raveino says the course involves classroom-style sessions as well as practical sessions and aims to provide instructors with the necessary tools and training to enable them to run similar courses in their own countries.

OFC places high importance on developing world-class match officials in Futsal, Beach Soccer and football. In 2008, referee development received a huge boost thanks to a brand new FIFA-funded Refereeing Assistance Programme (RAP) which is now led by Raveino who has stressed how important it is that the programme succeeds.

“FIFA want results in OFC over the next few years and we need to provide them,” said the former referee from Tahiti.

Raveino is supported by Neil Poloso from the Solomon Islands who says the objective of the programme is to improve the performance, consistency and uniformity of elite referees and assistant referees in each member association.

“We are also trying to establish and fortify referee development programmes and this week’s course goes a long way to achieving that.”

As part of the high standards set by FIFA, all match officials involved in the OFC Futsal Championship have undergone a stringent Futsal Referees Fitness Test. Only those who pass the FIFA test are eligible to officiate this week's matches.

The championship, involving Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, kicks off on Monday and will conclude with the final and 3rd/4th place playoff on Friday.






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com