OFC places high importance on developing world-class match officials and in 2008 referee development received a huge boost thanks to the establishment of the FIFA-funded Refereeing Assistance Programme (RAP).
Under the umbrella of the FIFA Development Office, the programme aimed to prepare referees for international competitions, particularly the FIFA World Cup, and to develop referees in each of the Member Associations (MAs) through scouting and education.
The RAP team established a structure to improve the quality and quantity of referee education through the introduction of new courses held in various member associations. The courses were tailored to meet the needs of the whole refereeing community – from community referees through to elite referees and included courses to meet the growing demand for futsal and beach soccer officials.
The OFC referee education programme, designed by the OFC Football Division and the RAP, welcomes men and women and features the most up-to-date resources and equipment.
The foundations laid by the RAP team are being built upon by the current team – OFC Head of Refereeing Kevin Stoltenkamp and his Solomon Islands-based colleague Neil Poloso. The success of the programme can be seen in the ever-increasing level of representation of Oceania officials at FIFA tournament.
Education
As part of OFC Education Centre programme, courses are available in the following categories. Further information is available by contacting the Refereeing Development Officer (RDO) at your local member association.
MA Refereeing Certificate
Refereeing Certificate – 24 hours
Refereeing Instructor Certificate – 24 hours
OFC Refereeing Licence
OFC Refereeing Licence Level 1 – 16 hours
OFC Refereeing Licence Level 1 – 24 hours
OFC Refereeing Licence Level 1 – 40 hours
OFC Refereeing Instructor Licence Level 1 – 16 hours
OFC Refereeing Instructor Licence Level 1 – 24 hours
OFC Refereeing Instructor Licence Level 1 – 40 hours
OFC Refereeing Assessor Licence Level 1 – 8 hours
OFC Refereeing Assessor Licence Level 2 – 8 hours
OFC Refereeing Assessor Licence Level 3 – 8 hours
Programmes
OFC-sponsored Refereeing Schools have been established to provide young officials with the best ‘seat’ at a football match and the knowledge, skills, tools and confidence to referee organised football at grassroots and youth level.
The schools are focused on introducing the laws of the game along with basic refereeing techniques to facilitate a better understanding of the game. All refereeing school activities involve theory sessions and practical sessions with an emphasis on
leadership
communication
respect
teamwork
