Registration of Referee 2011

FAM has open its registration for football and FUTSAL referees for the year 2011.
The forms can taken from the Referees Department and return on or before 10 February 2011.

Regulation need to be followed:
1. Referees will only be registered after they had fulfilled the requirement:
- passed medical test, FIFA physical test, theory est and attend Seminar.

2. Only registered referees will be given equipments as approved by the Referees Committee for the year.

3. All FIFA Referees and Assistant Referees may not be registered as FUTSAL Referees and shall not referee any FUTSAL matches.

4. Island referees can request for registration via e-mail (amir@famaldives.com) or download the forms from Madivessoccer.com.

5. Testing in islands will be carried after April and the island concern will be informed.

6. Course for Football and FUTSAL referees will held in Male every year to increase the number of referees. Islands who are interested to have course can apply to the Football Association of Maldives.

7. No other association or individual body has the authority to run any course or certified the course other than FAM.

8. FAM as the sole controlling body for football and FUTSAL activities has the sole authority to sanction any competitions or appoint the referees. No other association or body has the right to do so.

9. Island who uses referees that are not appointed by FAM will not be given any attention or assistance.

10. All matters concerning refereeing, courses, competitions or related matted on football should be referred to the Football Association of Maldives.

11. Seminar for FUTSAL Referees - 27 February - 4 March 2011

12. Seminar for Football Referees - 20 - 25 March 2011.-

FAM Football Seminar

January 17, 2011 - Football Association of Maldives had its Seminar on Football at the Youth Centre in Male'. Members from clubs, media, referees, coaches and sports personnel were invited to give their their view towards enhancing the Dhiraagu Dhivehi League 2011.

In the development of football in Maldives, there are the basic elements that influence its performance, the players, match officials, team officials, Club's owners, organizers (FAM), supporters, sponsors, media and Ministry of Youth and Sports.

All these elements have their own strengths and weaknesses, which will affect or have effects on the other elements. Performance of the players and their professional attitude towards each match is their responsibility to ensure that their fans or supporters are always being entertained and contented. This will then enhance the gate collection which is the additional financial source. Professional approach in handling the team by team officials ensure team work and joint performance and results. Reaction of team officials to decisions of match officials may calm or incite the players and also the supporters. When players lose their concentration, it will result in mistake, aggression, injury, card or sent off and receiving goal. Excellent strategy and flow of the attack and defense by players will enhance the movement of the referees and thus improve his refereeing standards. High quality play with full commitment to produce good entertainment will bring the crowd to the stadium. Incited supporters will bring about aggression and unruly reactions. Sponsors will get their extra mileage through crowd and also good media coverage. Good quality media coverage will also raise the standards of the matches to receive AFC of FIFA recognition to put the video clips into their weekly show (e.g. Football Asia).

More often, we tend to see negative reaction from the elements. If every elements involved keep finding the fault and error the others or trying to shift their own weaknesses to others, there will not be a solution to improve the quality of football in the playing, organizing, selling, sponsoring and producing quality players for the country. All these elements should compliment or supplement each other in order to create a bonding towards bringing Dhivehi football to the eyes of the world. The organizer (FAM) with the assistance and support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports can make wonders in Maldives if they work closely, with each enhancing each other. There may be differences in the color of the flag but there are a lot of similarities. We pray to the same God (Allah), the same direction (Kiblat), speak the same language (Dhivehi) and eat the same food (roshi, garudhia). Football is a public entity and thus needs to be given a special attention and support. This will definitely bring the level of Dhivehi football to the highest standard so that one day, Maldives will stand the same height as other football giant in the world.

Ali Azim - AFC Executive Committee Member

Ali Azim, President of Football Association of Maldives has been elected as one of the Executive Committee Member (2011 -2015) in the 24th AFC Congress held in Doha, Qatar on the 6th of January 2011.
Commenting to reporters, Ali Azim admitted that the post is not a privilege but a huge responsibility.

More details
http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-congress-news/32056-afc-president-welcomes-new-look-exco

Regulations on the Organisation of Refereeing

FIFA has sent to all Member Associations (MA) a book on regulation in the organizing of refereeing. For the knowledge of all the following will be of interest to you:

Referees Committee - MA must have a Referee Committee (Ref Com.) and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman must be a member of the Association Executive Committee. Its duties includes to classify and appoint the referee for matches, nominate candidate for International list, comply with FIFA standards in the implementation of Laws, utilize uniform criteria in assessment, and to appoint instructors and assessors.

Referees Department should be composed of at least one expert with broad experience in the field of refereeing, administration and development of referees. Duties include assist the Ref. Com., implement decisions, logistics and administrative duties, implement development programs, organize courses, prepare teaching materials and to send report.

Registration of referees should be carried out annually and the minimum requirement includes passing the relevant FIFA physical fitness test, medical examination and theory test.

Appointment of Referees by the Referees Committee with the Referees Department. Referees appointed correspond to their level of skill and experience. They must be chosen from those who have passed the physical fitness, medical and technical knowledge test. They shall be appointed in good time before the match.

Promotion and demotion of referees must be approved by the Referees Committee.

Evaluation of Referees Performances by the Referees Assessor panel.

FIFA International Match Officials shall be nominated by MA. Proposed referees shall be at least 25 years old and below 45 on 1 January. Candidates may not be older than 38 in the year of nomination unless previously appeared in the list. Proposed referees shall have officiated in the highest level league, passed the FIFA physical fitness and medical test. The referees may not exercise any official function as a member of an executive committee, general secretary, or member of the referees committee of any football club, MA, confederation of FIFA.

Member Association may request to FIFA Referees Committee in writing to suspend or remove a referee from lists for any justifiable reason.

2011 Season for Refereeing

2010 is a year filled with ups and downs in refereeing. Great improvement can be seen among the junior referees who can now shift to be categorized as senior referee. New strength can seen among some who were given the opportunity and motivation as referees and now can be given the responsibility to shoulder strong matches in the 2011 Dhiraagu Dhivehi Division I League. Among them are Ahmed Aslam, Mohamed Aneel, Ahmed Afsah, Basil Nafeez and Afeef Abdul Samad. The senior referees, Ali Saleem, Ahmed Ameez and Mohamed Fareed are still consistent in their performance. Others who have not been giving their best need to pull up their socks.

FIFA MA Referee Course held in December 2010 has seen some positive development among the younger referees. Some new referees from islands also show positive results when given the opportunity to be exposed to the latest development in refereeing. This FAM hope will encourage more youth to get themselves rope into refereeing. Courses for football and FUTSAL will be held in Male' and also other Atolls and islands. A FIFA MA Course for potential referees, FUTSAL Referees is planned for 2011.

Some changes will be expected to be implemented to ensure the development and the scrutinizing of incremental improvement is achieved. FIFA Football Referees will not be allowed to officiate in FUTSAL matches. Their experience may be used as Referee Assessors or Match Commissioners to guide the junior referees in that field. Those who are very good in the lines will be guided and developed into better Assistant Referees. Officials who are competent in both will maintain their good service.

FIFA Physical Fitness program will be implemented. Mohamed Hanim has returned as FAM Referee Physical Fitness Instructor and will be responsible to see that the FIFA program is implemented to improve and maintain the referees fitness.

Disciplinary problems will be seriously look into by the Referees Committee and serious cases has been referred to the Disciplinary Committee. Referees concerned will either be given warning, suspended, removed or rejected their application for future registration.

As instructed by FIFA in the Regulation on Organisation of Refereeing in FIFA MA, all referees seeking to be registered must passed the relevant physical fitness test, medical examination and a test on their knowledge of the Laws of the Game. Referees must also attend in full the preparatory seminar organised before the new season in February or March 2011.

All these effort is aimed to create a better image among the referees responsible in handling the FAM Leagues and also other competition in the country. These effort will only be fruitful with the cooperation and dedication of the referees, instructors, referees committee and department. We hope to have a better, fruitful, pleasant and flawless season. Good luck to all and a Happy New Year.

Performing Hajj

My wife and me will be going to the holy land of Makkah and Madina to perform our hajj on the 24 October 2010 till 12 December 2010. May Allah, the Almighty and Merciful bless us with strength, good health, patience and resilience to overcome all the challenges and blessing in performing our hajj. InshaAllah, I will pray for the well-being and success of all my brothers and their family in Maldives.

Advice to Referees in Malaysia

9 October 2010, 1500 hour - I was very much honoured when a team from a television broadcaster in Malaysia came to my home to interview me. They asked of my first experience and last match of my refereeing career, worst experience and sweet one, effort put in to be excellent. My designation in Malaysia and my present designation. I was also asked on how to encounter with decisions making, problems in the game and indiscipline players. Lastly was my advice to referees to be able to the best or at least perform the best on each outing.

To gain the RESPECT of players and team officials, a referee need to ensure that every match that he officiate is the best or at least maintain his consistency in his performance. To be able to do so, he has to maintain his fitness level, maintain match practice, have enough rest before each match, BE FAIR, FIRM and IMPARTIAL all the time. Have courage to take strong action or decision. When a player commits a serious foul and deserve to be cautioned or sent off but was not given the correct sanction by the referee, the player will not respect the referee although a bad decision was in his favour. So referee should not think that by not having the COURAGE to give the correct sanction, he has actually lost his SELF RESPECT to the players.

Players play the game THE WAY the referee make them to play. If the referee allow bad fouls left unpenalized, robust tackles, dissent and questioning of his decisions, that will be the way the player will play it and the bad fouls will be more serious and in the end the referee will LOSE HIS CONTROL and in the end the game will be OUT OF CONTROL.

"The grasses will not sway if the wind is not blowing". Normally player will not complain or question the referee's decisions. So the referee, while maintaining his assertiveness and decisiveness in his control of the match, he has to conduct SELF-ANALYSIS and QUESTION himself when there is complaint from players or officials. Maybe he did missed an incident or foul or made a wrong decision. So if he is TRUTHFUL and SINCERE to himself, he will gain the respect of the players and team officials.

For a referee to be able to achieve the highest level in refereeing, he must be in constant training on his fitness level, updating his knowledge on the Laws of the Game and also its interpretation and implementation, have proper nutrition and rest before and after the match, develop his own mental preparation before each match and self motivation to improve further, sincere in accepting comments and advice from referee assessors or even his peer, respect others to gain respect from others, have courage to make strong decision against culprit with bad discipline or attitude, be pleasant and yet assertive in his appoach, develop self motivation to push your performance and achievement to the limits and thus will achieve the highest level of performance in his career.