September date for UEFA referees

The refereeing sector takes centre stage at the start of September with the inaugural summer meeting of Europe's top and first-class referees, and the third seminar for this continent's leading assistant referees.

EURO preparations
UEFA's refereeing elite are coming together for their first summer gathering on 3 September to focus on preparations for a long and demanding season, which will culminate next summer in the UEFA EURO 2004™ final round in Portugal.

Team spirit
The UEFA Referees Committee and the élite referees will look at technical instructions for the 2003/04 season, and discuss topics such as team spirit within the group of élite referees, co-operation with assistant referees, and preparations for UEFA EURO 2004™.

Discussions and training
The assistant referees now gather at UEFA at the start of each season for discussions and fitness training. The latest meeting on 3 and 4 September will focus on similar issues to those being discussed by the élite referees, including co-operation between referees and their assistants and preparations for the EURO final round in Portugal.

Speed work
In addition, the assistant referees will undertake training sessions, and their fitness work during the UEFA seminar will concentrate on areas that are vital for assistants, such as speed and side-shifting.