Under warm and beautiful weather that allowed the event to take place under the best conditions, approximately 80 young people and about twenty chaperones from clubs across the region were able to entertain themselves. In rugby or soccer, some players had the opportunity to test the direction of the game, followed by members of the Côte d’Azur district’s refereeing commission. It was a first experience that everyone enjoyed, even if they do not seem eager to continue in this path.
This splendid Saturday afternoon offers the youth of the Côte d’Azur a great time at the magnificent Arboras stadium. Coming from all corners of the department and even from the Var with the Racing Club de Toulon, they were able to compete in two friendly tournaments, one in rugby, the other in soccer. The main reason for their presence on the Nice field was not just for sports but to take the whistle and step into the role of the referee.
This event organized by the Côte d’Azur district required “enormous preparation work, the presence of ten members of the refereeing commission, and the participation of referees like William Hoenig or Bruno Coué,” explains the commission’s President, Gilles Ermani. He regrets, “the result of this day is mixed because there was a lot of preparation and ideal conditions for ultimately just two candidates.” International referee Bruno Coué is happy to have come because, to him, these days are “important for young people to experience refereeing, to understand that it is not easy to officiate.”
However, the main motivation was not sports results or spotting new referees, since Mr. Ermani explains that “recruitment is natural thanks to the very good work of the district and clubs, who are all compliant as they meet their quotas (10 referees to be provided by OGC Nice or AS Monaco versus one for a district club). Fifteen days before the new session starts on October 23 in Cannes and October 25 in Nice, we have 70 to 80 candidates and 270 referees renewed.”
Young people were able to realize the difficulty of refereeing and know that one important thing players must do is respect the referee. Both men share this view since their goal is to “convey the message of respect towards the refereeing body so that young people (who have taken the whistle) can calm their teammates during a match in case of a controversial decision against their favor.”
Gilles Ermani also addressed the issue of violence on the pitches. “It is a long-term effort because there is a lack of knowledge of the laws of the game among players and coaches who find it harder to understand. The image of the field is often said to be the image of the bench, so coaches must manage their teams by accepting the referee’s errors.”
If interpreted in this way, video seems to be the main solution to limit errors in major divisions, which the two professionals deny. Despite the high stakes, “video has its limits, only the referee feels what’s happening on the field. Moreover, in some stadiums we can place many more cameras than in others, leading to two-speed football,” laments the commission president, a supporter of the “ball with a chip.” Bruno Coué, for his part, believes that “in a few years, video will be implemented on the goal line. As for the rest, it’s not current, especially since the rules have extended the effective playing time (60 minutes instead of 50 out of the 90 regulated), so stopping the game breaks a nice momentum.”
Both are therefore convinced of the great opportunities in refereeing and have likely succeeded in changing young people’s perspective on this major actor in football and sports, the referee. Let’s just hope that respect prevails since the game director “doesn’t wear the same jersey but shares the same passion.”
For all inquiries regarding refereeing, you can contact the Côte d’Azur district.
You will find all contact details here: [https://www.fff.fr/servfff/cdg/coord_cdg.php?cg_no=6202&SousDomaine=NON](https://www.fff.fr/servfff/cdg/coord_cdg.php?cg_no=6202&SousDomaine=NON)
Please note that it is possible to sign up if you are between 13 and 50 years old and are licensed in a club.
