More than 40 Queensland referees received valuable experience and education at the QSS Football Championships held in Toowoomba and Hervey Bay in May.

The young match officials, drawn from regional and metropolitan zones from the Gold Coast to Far North Queensland, soaked up tips and knowledge from a team of FQ referee coaches that included A-League and W-League referees Alex King, Renae Coghill and Lara Lee.

“The QSS Football Championships was a terrific chance for young referees to officiate matches and work closely with experienced, FIFA accredited referee coaches,” said FQ Senior Officer – Referee Development Mark Simon-Green.

“The beauty of refereeing at these school tournaments is that match officials at the early stages of their career can learn and make mistakes in a safe environment, surrounded by some great mentors.

“Many of these referees belong to the FQ Referee Academy, which identifies up-and-coming match officials and connects them with experienced coaches in a two-year mentorship that focuses on technical, professional and physical development.”

FQ State Referee Manager Jacqui Hurford said more opportunities for referee development were on the horizon in June and July at the Skills Acquisition Phase State Carnival in Brisbane, the Regional Talent Support Program Carnival on the Sunshine Coast, and the QSS U12 Championships in Toowoomba.

“Young referees need pathways, and FQ is delivering support and guidance to make sure we retain our best and brightest match officials,” said Hurford.

“The upcoming TSP, SAP and QSS tournaments will be yet another chance for referees to learn their craft.

“School referees will also be involved at the QSS U12 Championships in Toowoomba in July, which links with the School Referee Program launched by FQ in April.

“FQ has done a lot of work over the past 12 months to achieve the growth targets we set in the Strategic Plan, and we are determined to continue Queensland’s strong tradition of producing top-quality referees.”

Referees wanting to be involved in these tournaments should speak with their local Referee Coach and Development Officer.