The opening day of the module focused mainly on theoretical topics, seeking to gauge the participants’ understanding of the changing nature of football, which included in-depth discussions on the duties expected of officials on the pitch as well as the speed of the modern game and its impact on refereeing.

The following days saw the officials undergoing a variety of practical sessions, including the Yo-Yo intermittent test. In addition to several other physical activities aimed at honing their speed, agility, and endurance levels, the participants took part in multiple practical matches in order to further improve their movements and positions on the pitch.

The programme also featured several seminars that allowed participants to receive valuable insights on key topics such as How to Keep a Neutral Mindset When Officiating, The Four Corners of Refereeing, Understanding Deliberate/ Non - Deliberate Handball, and Delivering a World Class Performance.

Among the major highlights of the module was a series of classroom sessions designed to test the attendees’ freshly equipped insights from the seminars through in-depth analyses of match incidents from the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ and the AFC Women’s Champions League™ 2024/25 Group Stage matches.

Other topics explored in the module included ways to prevent injuries in order to ensure referees’ longevity and refine their ability to raise their profile during critical moments of the game.

Additionally, the AFC Referee Academy will conduct an onsite module for Batch 5 from October 14 to 18.

The AFC is the first Confederation to launch a dedicated academy for referees. Since its launch in 2017, as many as 201 men and women referees from 39 AFC Member Associations have graduated or are in the midst of benefitting from the AFC Referee Academy’s all-inclusive curriculum.

The Academy’s role in nurturing Asia’s best refereeing talent has been tangible, with 17 current Academy referees registered on the FIFA international list, as well as 48 alumni already part of the Elite Panel.