AIFF Media Team
 
 

NEW DELHI: In a bid to further educate the states that are already aligned with the Refereeing Structure in Member Association of All India Football Federation, the Refereeing Department of the Governing Body has organised a first-of-its-kind Pilot Project for Head of Referees (States) starting May 26 till May 27, at the AIFF Football House in New Delhi.
 
 

Explaining the initiative which will involve eight states and 11 participants, Head of Referees- AIFF, Col. Goutam Kar who will also preside over the sessions, said: “We have adopted Refereeing structure in member association of FIFA in 2011. Thereafter, the AIFF Executive Committee gave the state associations the mandate to follow the same in their respective states in early 2012.”
 
 

He added: “These eight states have implemented the prescribed refereeing structure but have not received any training so far. Now these state association representatives would be participating to understand the further process of referee recruiting, training, examination, and development with an aim to professionalize the refereeing as a career option.

“During the interaction, we will also try to understand their unique problem and see how we can help them further. Learning from this course will help us to programme our next such course in a better way.”

After repeated reminders, the final deadline given by the Executive Committee at its meeting on 14-May 2014 for State Associations to come under the umbrella of the Refereeing Structure in Member Association of AIFF is September 30, 2014.

There is a plan to conduct another such initiative later this year with remaining states associations.

“It is obligatory for the states to follow the uniform mandate and come in line with AIFF, which again is in line with FIFA’s structure. It only helps the grooming of referees across the country and more number of aspiring referees to think of refereeing as their career. After all football is fast developing in India.” Col Kar further added.