The IBSA Football Committee continues to expand the international pool of trained blind football referees.
Among other recent development actions, training seminars have taken place in Europe and South America:
Italy
FISPIC organised a national referees seminar for Italian B1 and B2/B3 referees. IBSA Football Referees Coordinator Elias Mastoras delivered the seminar with the presence of 8 Italian referees, the National Referee Coordinator, the FISPIC President and selected Bari and Lecce B1 football players.
Caption: participants pose with their certificates.
This is the beginning of a new era in educating blind football referees with the use of our interactive multimedia tool. Online application,mobile edition, graphics and subtitles in educational case studies, and a multiple choice quiz for passing exams' test and reviewing results, with tablets and projector for all officials presenting the new rulebook for the period 2017-2021.
Colombia
From January 16th to 19th, Referees Advisory Group member Mariano Travaglino delivered a referee training course in Bogota, Colombia. The Blind Sport Federation of Colombia organised the course to enlarge its pool of referees and to update them with the new 2017-2021 rules.
Around 30 referees took part in the course, which included theoretical and practical sessions. Classroom sessions involved videos and images, followed by on-pitch sessions simulating the referees' placements, movements and ways to communicate with players during matches.
To conclude, the officials were put through their pace in real matches involving B1 teams from Bogota, where the referees had the chance to put ino practise the skills and knowledge they had picked up.
Caption: Referees on the pitch during the training seminars in Colombia.
Any referees, coaches, guides and officials interested in learning through IBSA's multimedia tool are kindly requested to contact the IBSA Football Referees Coordinator (
[email protected]) to access the tool.
Revised versions of the B1 and B2/B3 rulebooks for 2017-2021, edition January 2017, are available here.
