How Women’s EURO referees are raising the bar

"Being a female referee has undergone exponential change," says Spaniard Marta Huerta de Aza, officiating at a Women’s EURO for the second time.

"I’ve been a referee for 20 years and since I started, there has been a really significant change. Taking Spain as an example – dedicating yourself professionally to being a referee as your only job was unthinkable years ago," she adds.

The standards of female referees have only increased as a result, explains Huerta de Aza. "There are really positive advances in the refereeing profession. To be at a Women's EURO again, three years on, is even more difficult, because the female referees we have in Europe, in my personal opinion, are the best in the world – they demonstrate it in each international competition."

Tess Olofsson (centre) during a referee training session ahead of UEFA Women's EURO 2025Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Pushing for higher standards

New levels of preparedness are one of the ways in which the game is progressing, with UEFA helping to ensure that each member of the 13-strong Women’s EURO 2025 referee team was ready to hit the ground running.

"Physical and mental preparation are very important for a referee," says Huerta de Aza. "UEFA supports us with that, so we have a tailored plan to guarantee that we can be in optimal shape to take part in this tournament."

The referees were put through their paces in the lead-up to the tournament in UEFA training sessions. Notably, each has passed the same fitness tests as the elite male referees.

"It’s quite a long preparation," said Stéphanie Frappart, one of the game’s leading referees. "We’ve been working on [fitness] for several months now, with remote training sessions supported by a fitness coach."

Perhaps naturally, as the pool of women’s referees has developed, perceptions of the role have changed, too. "It’s very different to how it was when I was 13 years old and started refereeing," says Swedish referee Tess Olofsson, also refereeing her second Women’s EURO.

"Back then, we didn’t have many female referees or role models," says Olofsson. "Suddenly, women’s football has really developed, both in terms of refereeing and playing. It is fantastic to see that there are so many professional female referees out there who can make a living out of this job."

The same referee technology used at EURO 2024 is in place for Women's EURO 2025Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images

Giving referees the right tools

The women’s game is keeping pace with the men’s on the technological front, too. Alongside video assistant referees (VARs) and goal-line technology, semi-automated offside and connected ball technology is in operation at a Women’s EURO for the first time – matching what was deployed at the men’s EURO in 2024.

"To be able to work with the semi-automated [technology] is an improvement that we’re grateful to have in women’s football," explains Huerta de Aza. "Anything that can help us to improve and make fairer decisions is good for football, for referees and for spectators."

"All the new technologies – such as VAR and now the connected ball and automatic offsides – are tools that will help us make a decision," agrees Frappart. "We will save time and make more accurate decisions. That’s the aim – being accurate in our calls and saving time so that we see more football."