The second annual Hero ISL Referee Workshop conducted by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has come to an end.
The three-day long workshop from April 26 to April 28 is an initiative taken by the ISL in keeping with its objective to help football grow across all aspects by conducting numerous theoretical as well as practical sessions.
PGMOL is the recognised official body which manages referee development and appointments for Premier League, The Football League (Championship, League One, League Two) and The FA competitions in England.
A total of 30 AIFF match officials- 15 referees and 15 assistant referees were trained at the workshop that focused on enhancing the knowledge, application and interpretation of the laws of the game with effective teamwork and communication amongst the officials. The workshop conducted by PGMOL Training and Development Manager, Ray Olivier and Premier League Select Referee, Philip Dowd inculcated the core values of refereeing among the AIFF officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Ray Olivier said, "The partnership between the ISL and the AIFF has developed into a very professional and collaborative relationship putting referee development at the heart of their priorities. We have seen a significant increase in the match officials' knowledge and experience which is clearly demonstrated through their higher level of interaction during the practical and theory teaching sessions."
Philip Dowd added, "The officials have been more receptive to our training methods since last year and have shown a hunger to improve their skill sets and enhance their performance."
The workshop included sessions on topics such as conflict resolution (managing the technical area), crucial decision making (in and around the penalty area), optimising communication (between referee & assistant referee) and referee assessment methods, which are popularly used by PGMOL.
