World Cup referees attend UEFA course

All fourteen of the European referees chosen for the 2002 FIFA World Cup will attend UEFA’s annual referees’ course in Monaco next month.

Advanced course
The match officials who will be going to Japan and the Korea Republic in the summer are taking part in the UEFA Advanced Course for Top- and First-Class Referees, which will be held in the Mediterranean principality between 12 and 14 February.

53 referees
A total of 53 referees are attending the advanced course – 29 are in UEFA’s top category, and the other 24 are members of the UEFA first-class category.

Introductory course
They will be joined in Monaco by 34 newcomers to the international scene, who will be attending the UEFA Introductory Course for International Referees from 13 to 15 February.

Season review
The courses, hosted by the French Football Federation, will serve as a review of the first half of the current European season, and lay the basis for preparations for the second half of the campaign, which begins shortly after the Monaco event.

OFC invitation
For the first time, the UEFA Referees Committee has also extended an invitation to the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to send a referee and instructor. Referee Simon Micaleff (Australia) and instructor Hari Naicker (Fiji) will represent OFC in Monaco.

European World Cup list
The following European referees have been chosen for the World Cup: Pierluigi Collina (Italy), Hugh Dallas (Scotland), Anders Frisk (Sweden), Terje Hauge (Norway), Antonio López Nieto (Spain), Lubos Michel (Slovakia), Markus Merk (Germany), Urs Meier (Switzerland), Vitor Melo Pereira (Portugal), Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark), Graham Poll (England), Kyros Vassaras (Greece), Gilles Veissière (France) and Jan Wegereef (Netherlands).

World Cup plan
Europe’s World Cup referees are being given a comprehensive and co-ordinated fitness plan to follow in the period leading up to the tournament to ensure they reach maximum fitness for the final round.

Fitness test
At the UEFA advanced course in Monaco, the referees will also undergo a strenuous fitness test. They have to run a minimum 2,700 metres in 12 minutes, two 50-metre sprints in a maximum 7.5 seconds per sprint, and two 200-metre sprints in a maximum 32 seconds per sprint.

Theoretical and practical sessions
The Monaco course consists of a series of theoretical, practical and plenary sessions. One topic on the agenda concerns speed, co-ordination and technique of running, while the referees will also be briefed on the subject of referees and the media, and how to answer journalists’ questions.

Video reviews
The elite referees will participate in video reviews, where they will discuss the adoption of a uniform approach to pushing and holding in the penalty area, as well as positioning, disciplinary measures and offside.

34 new European referees
All of the 34 new European referees on the FIFA list will attend the UEFA introductory course in Monaco. They will take part in the same fitness test as their elite colleagues, and will also sit an English test. UEFA stipulates that all referees should now have a good knowledge of English to help them officiate at UEFA matches.

UEFA briefings
The new referees will be briefed about a variety of topics, including how to fill in the UEFA referee’s report form – which is sometimes the only source of statistics for the UEFA administration and disciplinary bodies – as well as preparation for a UEFA match and communication skills.

Video studies
Video studies will centre on uniform interpretation of fouls and misconduct and offside decisions, and the new referees will hear UEFA’s instructions on issues such as allowance for time lost, injured players and substitutions, celebration of goals, condition of the field of play, the role and tasks of the fourth official and co-operation with assistant referees.

Exchanging views
“For the first time, young referees will have the opportunity to work alongside their more experienced colleagues,” says UEFA’s refereeing manager Yvan Cornu. “Although the two course programmes remain separate, with the elite referees working in discussion groups and the new international referees receiving instructions in plenary sessions, all of the participants will certainly have the chance to exchange views and experiences during breaks in the programme."

Referee presentations
“In addition, two elite referees will be giving presentations about their experiences, and will be able to give advice to their up-and-coming colleagues, “ he added.