Referee Academy Weekend

A total of 30 participants from nine boys' and three girls' schools will be attending - 24 males and 6 females, with 26 from Malta and 4 from Gozo. The schools involved in the project are St Ġorġ Preca College - Boys' Secondary, St Thomas Moore College - Boys' Junior Lyceum, Gozo College - Boys' Secondary, St Michael's School, St Elias School, St Paul's Missionary College, Stella Maris College, St Martin's College, The Archbishop's Seminary School, Convent of the Sacred Heart Foundation, Our Lady Immaculate School and St Dorothy's School.

The programme includes various topics to be addressed by Referee Instructors, discussions involving local referees from the different categories, attendances to a BOV Premier League match and a Futsal League match and the respective post-match analysis.

Mr Norman Darmanin Demajo, Malta FA President, will deliver the Closing Address.

The follow-up for all participants after the Referee Academy Weekend will be weekly meetings over a three-month period, after which they will be given duties to assist referees in the Under 13 league.

Additional Information

At the Malta FA Press Conference when the Referees Academy was launched, MFA CEO Mr Bjorn Vassallo said that the Maltese football authorities were embarking on a new project in order to attract young people towards taking up a refereeing career. "This", he said, "is an investment in a very important sector of the game. With this Academy the Association intends sowing the seeds in order to grow talent in a fruitful career which, nevertheless, demands sacrifices". Mr Vassallo said that educating the referees from a very young age is of paramount importance.

At the Press Conference, Malta FA Director of Refereeing Mr Adrian D. Casha said that the Referees' Committee within the Association's set-up has been working towards increasing the number of referees as well as improving their standard. Mr Casha said that the Referees' Committee chaired by Mr Charles Agius was fully immersed in several sections of refereeing; while Mr Alexander Arena was entrusted with recruitment. Mr Casha referred to short and long-term objectives as to the number and quality of referees, whilst also promising full support to the attendees of the Academy. Mr Arena also addressed those present by giving relevant information about the Referee Academy Weekend.