Match officials take part in mid-season seminar

‘Motivation and the Desire to Succeed’ was the main theme of an intensive mid-season seminar for match officials organised by the Malta FA Referees’ Committee in preparation for the second part of the football season.  The two-day seminar, held at the National Sports School in Pembroke on January 8-9, was well-attended by members of all categories of match officials and referee observers. The foreign guest speaker was former Hungarian FIFA Referee Szolt Zsabo who shared his personal experience as an international referee for 13 years, as well as being in charge of 321 matches in his country’s top division. Szolt Zsabo also addressed the participants about the relationship with all football stakeholders, game management and disciplinary control. The seminar programme included presentations by various Malta FA qualified referee instructors about consistency in decision-making, correct evaluation of offside, teamwork and cooperation, management of yellow cards, body language, personality and fitness. Match situations from all the Malta FA’s senior leagues as well as youth football played in the first part of the season were also analysed to assist our referees and assistant referees in their education and development. In his concluding speech, Malta FA Vice-President and Referees’ Committee Chairman Adrian Casha pledged the Association’s commitment to motivate its match officials and referee observers in order to perform to the best of their abilities both at domestic and international levels.