Although it might not be the most glamorous profession, there is more to being a referee than meets the eye.

Bermuda Football Association (BFA) General Secretary David Sabir explains there are more pros than cons when officiating.

“We recognise that football is the world’s most popular sport, and it’s also Bermuda’s most popular sport, but most people have not given any consideration to the career of being a referee,” Mr. Sabir comments.

“The stigma attached to the man in the middle and his assistants on the sidelines suggests that it’s a thankless occupation, when in actual fact if you stop to think about it, it’s very rewarding.”

Refereeing gets you involved in the operation of the game, says Mr. Sabir, and it helps to develop a sense of self-control, as well as build character.

“Not everybody is going to be a first choice player, a world-class player, or a national team player. And it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to become a professional player,” Mr. Sabir asserts. “However, if one were to take up the art of refereeing, they could progress on to become a FIFA-listed referee.”

Some of the benefits for persons that have reached the status of FIFA-listed referees include first-class travel to various destinations, participation in such prestigious events as World Cup, Olympics, the CAC Games, and the Pan-American Games, financial remuneration, and the opportunity to meet people who have a similar passion for refereeing from other countries.

“The opportunity to grow and develop through refereeing is much more than just blowing a whistle for 90 minutes here in Bermuda,” Mr. Sabir maintains. “This is an opportunity for young people to get involved at the youth level where we can monitor their progress perhaps through the senior level, and then for them to go on to the international stage at some point in their future.”

He continues: “Lyndon Raynor and Anthony Mouchette are both local referees who excelled at the international level, and what they have seen and the people they have come in contact with — it has been very rewarding and certainly has had a positive impact on their lives.”

The BFA has a referee educational programme, led by Gregory Grimes, which is available to any school, club or other social group, to discuss the profession of refereeing and what needs to be done in order to get involved.

“In addition to the workshops, seminars and programmes that we have here, we also send our referees overseas to workshops conducted by FIFA and CONCACAF to further enhance their proficiency,” he adds.

Interested in trying your hand at refereeing? Call David Sabir at the BFA at 295 2199 or e-mail him at bfa[AT]northrock.bm.