President of the Ghana Football Association Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has tasked the leadership of the Referees Department to conduct a computerized theoretical examination at least three times a year for all referees to ensure that they continuously remain abreast with the rules and regulations governing football.
He made these remarks during a one-day training workshop for Referees Managers of the ten Regional Football Associations in Accra.
“The Regional Referees Managers have to be honest and more scientific. There should be mandatory theoretical exams conducted three times in a year with these exams being computerized for all referees across the country”, he said.
‘’In the past we dwelt a lot on physical training as a yardstick to determine the quality of referees; over time, we realized that they tended to be physically fit but but did not have a firm grasp of the laws governing game”, President Okraku quipped.
He stressed on the need for the Football Association to deliver quality football and a vibrant footballing environment for the entire population to enjoy, giving opportunities to young boys and girls from all over Ghana.
The “Catch Them Young referees” have been officiating matches at the District and Regional Football Association levels since the programme was launched in 2020.
The policy seeks to give opportunities to give passionate young boys and girls between the ages of 12-17 the necessary training and development in the field of refereeing.
Under this “Catch Them Young” policy, the GFA has so far trained about 1,200 young referees across the country.
