The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) conducted the first female referee workshop on May 17th – 19th at the National Training Centre, Providence, which was attended by 13 participants from several regions.
This was disclosed in an official release from the federation. According to the correspondence, the seminar, which was led by CONCACAF Elite Assessor/Instructor Diane Ferreira-James, comprised theoretical and practical sessions encompassing refereeing laws, game management, challenges, nutrition, and match preparation, along with fitness and technical drills. Also forming part of the administering team was FIFA Fitness Instructor Kelesha Antoine, who coordinated the fitness component.
Ferreira-James stated, “At first, we had a little difficulty with them adapting and understanding the requirements. For example, as an assistant referee, it is required that you do lateral movement and turn into your jogging, and staying aligned with the second last opponent.”
She further stated that after the “second drill, they started to adopt, and that is important,” emphasising that “going forward, continuity is very important, so we need to ensure that the instructors continue teaching them about the basics. It’s all about the basics.” GFF Head of Referees Department Lenval Peart stated that the programme is a ground-breaking initiative that has highlighted the significance increase in female participation in this aspect of the discipline, noting, “We have great potential here. It tells us that there is growth, there is room for international growth, and there’s room for improvement, and we will continue to do that through the GFF Referees Department.”
Meanwhile, GFF President Wayne Forde emphasised the entity’s continued investment in the development and participation of match officials, especially female referees, noting, “The GFF has come a far way, and today the national football space is a much safer place for females when compared with what obtained in the past. However, while this is worthy of celebration, we must remain ever vigilant in ensuring that the right conditions are in place so that girls and women can continue to play, enjoy, and learn about our beautiful game in a wholesome environment.”
The release also stated that the recruitment drive for the GFF’s referees department will shift to the secondary school realm, which forms part of the FIFA Football for Schools Programme (F4S).
