Danish referee instructor Gitte Holm is very happy with the opportunity of a referee exchange in the United Kingdom. A referee exchange in a foreign country has certain benefits for referees. I’ve listed 3 of them in the list below.

Learning a different football culture

Jonathan Bak Dragsted: “In England the game is faster with lots of first time passes and long balls. In Denmark it’s different. Ball possession is very important. In England you have to be ready all the time and make more sprints.”

Explore new ways to manage games

I learned that there’s a lot of different ways to manage a game”, says Tinna Høj Christensen. That’s sometimes also neccessary, because “players challenge you more here in the UK. That’s not normal in Denmark.”

Working with new instructors

A different referee mentor could give you new insights in your performance. “The English coaches and officials are very good”, says Simon Rosenlund. “They have a lot of tricks and small details that make you a better referee. The observer told me yesterday. One little detail makes you one percent better. And one percent, plus one percent, plus one percent makes you a lot better. It’s been absolutely fantastic.”

Watch the full video of the referee exchange.

In 2013’s Danish referee exchange in the UK you can see the experiences of Jens Oerum and Janus Vorm.