Return to officiating post Covid19. How do we do that? I am excited to take part in a discussion panel about the return to officiating post Covid19, with some fantastic contributors from around the world. The session will consider the uncertain environment, how we can best support match officials, plus the opportunities and challenges that exist. 

The panel discussion takes place on July 23rd at 4pm (GMT+1, UK summer time). More details, including the link to access the discussion will be released in the coming days. It will be added to this blog post. Please save the date.

Speakers are:

• Dr. Tom Webb
• Prof. Carlo Castagna
• Dr. Phil Cooper MBE
• Dr. Jacob Tingle
• Michael Cooke
• Jan ter Harmsel (me)

The referee podcast My life on the line is a pleasure to listen to. And it’s not because I’m in there, but they really make some good stuff. Love the other episodes as well.

I had a great time with the lads from RefCoach on their podcast. You can listen to the episode with me. Make sure you subscribe to their podcast channel, from whichever app you’re using. 

And make sure to join their FB Group too . Lots of great discussions there.

The Football Tasmania Referee Quiz is something you might like. I do quizzes during the season with ABCD questions, but this quiz works with flash cards. Because you might prefer a different way of learning, this might interest you.

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.

EPL referee Anthony Tayor gives advice to fellow referees. He talks with The National Young Referee Development Team and I distilled some great advice for you from this video interview.

Ross McMenemy is the initiator of RefChat The Refereeing Forum. It’s an online support network where referees can share their experiences and learn from each other. In this story Ross tells why you should register too, plus he adds some great tips for you to punt into practice.

Go directly to the Refchat forum.

Because offences when the ball is not in play are rare, it’s unique to see it twice during one Bundesliga weekend. But how do you need to deal with it? Check out the clips and explanation below.