Referee Damir Skomina announced his retirement. The Slovenian top referee had to undergo another medical operation and decided to quit, despite “his will, desire and effort” to continue. That’s what he wrote on his Instagram @damir.skomina. He has some great tips for you too when you struggle with an injury.

How to prepare for a fitness test? That’s a crucial question before the season starts, but also when you have to pass the test later on in your season. In this blog post you receive tips on how to prepare by Stephen Oduor. He is a trained FIFA and CAF physical fitness instructor and a referee coach from Kenya.

Plus you’ll get a few exercises to practice for the FIFA fitness test.

Some pre-season fitness tips for referees to get back into officiating. When the professional season starts many amateur referees will officiate friendlies and get ready for their season too. But some of you might have just come back from your holidays or are still relaxing on a sunny beach. This story has a few great pre-season fitness tips to get you back on track, so you will be ready for the season.

Personally, my season starts at the end of August. My fitness test is mid-September. That’s why KNVB’s professional referee fitness instructor Hilco de Boer send out some pre-season fitness tips. These tips might be useful for you too, that’s why I share them on my website as well.

Webinar on 2021-2022 Laws of the Game changes. Jan from Dutch Referee guides you through an IFAB presentation on the new laws. Some clips are blocked by YouTube, but most of the presentation is available.

There are lots of handball situations in there, so it’s very useful for you then.

You can also view the full presention by IFAB on their website. If any errors in the explanation in the video below, that’s my bad. I hope this video is useful in preparation for the upcoming season. Enjoy and feel free to share it with your refereeing friends.

Björn Kuipers retires as referee. That is what KNVB has confirmed. He’ll finish his career with officiating the Johan Cruijff Schaal, the Dutch Super Cup game between Ajax and PSV.

After landing on Amsterdam airport after Euro 2020 Björn Kuipers still had doubts about continuing, but during his holidays he made the decision. “After the Euro final I got a lot of positive reactions and appreciation from all over the world”, he says to KNVB, the Dutch FA. It made him doubt. “Moreover, I am still fit and have a lot of fun.” But on vacation he made the decision. “I realised I’ve been everywhere and experienced everything. I will not get more beautiful. There’s no better moment to stop”

This means Björn Kuipers retires in the Amsterdam Arena and officiates his last game on the 7th of August.

Want to know how Björn Kuipers reached the top? Read my profile “From whining player to top class referee”.

Share your thoughts retirement of Björn Kuipers

Please share your thoughts on the retirement of Björn Kuipers via comments below or on Instagram.

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Een bericht gedeeld door Jan from Dutch Referee Blog (@dutchreferee)

Kuipers’ Classroom

I’ve also made lots of stories with tips from Björn Kuipers over the years. check them out below.

• You show your real qualities when the coach is not watching
• Don’t judge your AR’s on first impression
• Deal with troublemakers immediately
• Take maximum control as referee
• Always communicate as refereeing team
• Challenge yourself at different levels
• Big referee appointment doesn’t mean you’re there yet
• Trust your team members as referee