Football Queensland (FQ) has recently announced a series of referee initiatives to be rolled out in the coming months to support the recruitment and retention of referees across the state.

Following the release of the 2020-2022 Strategic Plan, the next three years will see a focus on growing the game in an affordable, sustainable and enjoyable manner for current and prospective participants.

In line with this, FQ has developed a first year referee pack in conjunction with Kappa, free for first year referees for the 2020 season, included in the FQ registration fee.

The referee pack announcement supports the recent launch of the teal shirt initiative, which will be implemented to assist in providing a welcoming environment for referees who are new to the game as identified by their teal shirt.

Designed to reduce the cost of entry for first year referees, the first year referee pack will be included as part of the FQ registration fee for the 2020 season and will consist of a uniform (teal shirt, shorts, socks), whistle, flag and cards.

FQ Chief Executive Officer Robert Cavallucci said the new initiative would benefit first year referees across the state by providing them with everything they need to get started.

“As outlined in our strategic plan, a key focus over the next three years will be increasing the number of referees across Queensland through greater support and development,” Cavallucci said.

“We are pleased to be able to offer the first year referee pack as part of the registration fee to reduce the cost of entry for first year referees, and encourage more participants across the state to get involved in our game.”

Murray Bird, General Manager – Operations, Compliance & Game Development said the new initiatives in place for first year referees would improve the experience for those who are new to the game.

“We are committed to improving participation experiences for all in our game, with a number of new referee initiatives launching to support this,” Bird said.

“The referee pack offer, in addition to the teal shirt initiative, will help us grow the game moving forward as we provide increased support for first year referees and focus on recruitment and retention of referees across the state.”