The Capital Football Female Referee Development Programme (FRDP) began with its first official session last Saturday at the Home of Football, Memorial Park, Petone.

The first session of the inaugural FRDP, a mentoring opportunity, had a wealth of experience and knowledge available for the successful candidates to tap into. The mentoring session included Courtney Bremner, Hilary Osbourne, Barry Buchanan and top English Referee Lindsey Robinson, the four officials from the Capital Football vs WaiBOP Football National Women’s League game. Robinson, Football South’s newly appointed Referee Development Manager, boasts an exceptional resume which includes officiating the Women’s’ FA Cup Final earlier this year, where the prestigious game drew a crowd of over 45,000 people in attendance. Osbourne, Bremner and Buchanan are also held in extremely high regard in the refereeing community, all with multiple NWL seasons behind them.

The purpose of the initial session was to encourage conversation on all levels. The programmes applicants were invited to join with the mentors for the duration of the match to discuss everything from the laws of the game, to recommended positioning during play, through to effective decision making from both the referee and the assistant referees.  The group then stayed after the match for the opportunity to hear direct from the four match officials who shared their thoughts from the fixture, explaining decisions, and providing the candidates with the opportunity to ask several questions.  Bremner, leaving the group with the comments,

“It’s a great thing to do. If you love football and you love the game, then you are in the right place.”

With the majority of the group new comers to the refereeing aspect of football, the talking points flowed, and the positive engagement was evident. The opportunity to hear first-hand an inside point of view of an elite referee provided an invaluable experience regardless of the groups refereeing ambitions.

The FRDP, initiated by Capital Football Referee Representative Helen Mallon and Capital Football Women’s Development Officer Emma Evans, is the first of its kind in the country, and the feedback has been extremely positive to date. Evans, who has been closely watching and encouraging the growth of football itself, has been excited by the interest shown in such an integral part of the game.

“Refereeing is such vital aspect of the game and an area where we hope to see immense growth in the coming years. The FRDP has shown us that there are many girls and women in the community who want to get in to refereeing, and by offering support, encouragement and guidance, they now feel comfortable enough to take that first step”.

Mallon, who is a retired National Women’s League referee, with qualifications as a technical instructor and level 2 assessor, shared in Evans excitement. 

“There are so many great opportunities for female match officials in the game. The pathway for female referees is well defined and articulated through NZ Football and the opportunity to progress to the elite level is readily available for any female who has the right attitude, focus and desire. From local club games to the National Women’s League to international fixtures, as a match official, a technical instructor or an assessor, whatever your goal is there is capacity to pursue your dreams and ambitions.”

“To see the candidates having conversations, learning more about the beautiful game and developing and refining their skills is something that I believe is going to be the driving force behind the success of this programme. That in itself is extremely exciting, and Emma and I are really delighted to be sharing our knowledge and love for football with this female cohort.”

With the growth of the female game apparent across the country, the referee department is starting to catch up, and the Capital Football FRDP is paving the way for females to be a part of this. The rest of the programme will include fully funded NZF Refereeing courses, informal and formal mentoring sessions and the continued opportunity to referee both football and futsal at varying levels.

If you are interested in more information surrounding the Female Referee Development Programme and the opportunity to get involved, please contact Emma Evans, at emma@capitalfootball.org.nz

Article added: Thursday 18 October 2018