Match officials

The evolution of women's football has also been felt in the refereeing sector, as the game's growth has led to the need for women's referees at every level.

As part of women's football's development throughout Europe, national associations are being urged to encourage women to become referees, and nurture them to facilitate the overall advancement of the girls' and women's game.

The best female referees are deployed by UEFA to take charge of matches in the European women's club and national-team competitions, and a good number have also made their mark in the domestic and international men's game.

Accordingly, UEFA's refereeing activities have been keeping pace with the demands placed on those women responsible for running the action on the field. In conjunction with its member associations, UEFA takes great care in cultivating the European refereeing sector – fostering the elite and up-and-coming referees, and ensuring that newcomers to the UEFA list are given the proper instructions for their duties.

UEFA holds regular courses and fitness tests for women referees and assistant referees, and they are given regular advice on FIFA instructions, fitness, injury prevention and nutrition.

Women referees also follow the tactical trends, as the female game improves in this area from year to year. UEFA courses review the developments that emerge at the very highest level, such as the final tournaments of the UEFA European Women's Championship and FIFA Women's World Cup.