Europe's leading referees and newcomers to the international referees' list continue their preparations for an important year ahead when they attend UEFA's winter courses in Malta next week.

Old and new
The 18th UEFA Advanced Course for Elite and Premier Referees features more than 50 UEFA Elite and Premier category referees, while the 19th UEFA Introductory Course for International Referees involves over 50 new European international referees. The courses, which take place from Monday to Friday, not only look back at the early part of the season, but will also serve as important preparation for the match officials' coming assignments in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and, for some, the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Malta setting
A thorough schedule has been organised for the week, hosted by the Malta Football Association (MFA) for the first time since 2000, in what is a proud period for the MFA as it celebrates national football competitions played on the island, and 50 years of full membership with UEFA and the world body FIFA.

Valuable preparation
The introductory course aims to help the international newcomers prepare for officiating at European matches – beginning with youth mini-tournaments and the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League qualifying stages – and hopefully moving onto a distinguished refereeing career. "The UEFA Referees Committee hopes to give referees the perfect platform for this during the course," says UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino in his welcome message for the event.

Practical and theory
UEFA's new referees will take the full FIFA fitness test and other physical assessments, and will also be tested for their knowledge of English, which is now the common refereeing language. The theoretical part of the introductory course will see Referees Committee members and instructors giving decision-taking and positional advice with the use of footage from recent UEFA games, as well as through practical sessions. Finally, the new referees will also be briefed about the tasks they have to undertake in relation to UEFA's administration.

Pressure
The advanced course brings together seasoned match officials. "The pressure on top referees is increasing all over the world and some of the top UEFA referees will be part of the referee group at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where they can expect even more scrutiny," adds Gianni Infantino.

Striking a balance
"To prepare them for such intensity, the UEFA Referees Committee and refereeing services have prepared a balanced programme aimed to highlight the need for peak physical fitness, top mental preparation and, above all, the need to make good instant decisions. The participants' best practices will be shared, but mistakes are also there to be learned from and hopefully reduced in future matches."

Ongoing experiment
The course will also look at experiences with the experiment involving additional assistant referees, which has been taking place in this season's UEFA Europe League. In an experiment which has been endorsed by both FIFA and football's lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the customary four-man team of referee, two assistant referees and fourth official are supplemented by two additional assistant referees who take up positions alongside each goal, with the mission of focusing on incidents happening in the penalty area, such as fouls or misconduct. The feedback so far has been extremely positive. Two extra pairs of eyes provide valuable assistance to referees in helping to minimise refereeing errors, especially in the penalty box.