In collaboration with Eastern Suburbs Football Association, Football Canterbury held a training course for players to become club referees.
Club referees are players, coaches, managers, supporters, and volunteers who step-in as a match referee when there is no CRA referee appointed (or if the appointed referee doesn’t turn up).
In previous years, clubs provided feedback that people are often reluctant to help out as a step-in referee as they often have no experience and/or limited knowledge on how to control a game as a match official.
With that in mind, Football Canterbury and ESFA created a two-hour course to educate people and get them confident for if/when that situation arose.
The course was free-of-charge and saw over 80+ people register for the course at Mackey Park in Marrickville despite the poor weather.
Cindy Kok, who plays for a Cooks River Titans women’s team and coaches a Marrickville Red Devils junior team, said the course was perfect for someone who plays, coaches, or manages a team.
“There is a very strong need for this type of course and it was great to see it being held by Football Canterbury. The more people who know how to referee and who can step-in when needed the better,” said Kok.
The results from the post-course survey were overwhelmingly positive with the course structure and organisation praised, as well as feedback saying this course was much needed in the region.
With this initial workshop a big success, there are visions for more courses in the future in cooperation with ESFA and involving the Canterbury Referee’s Association.
