Referees
Held from August 25 to 28, the four-day programme comprised dedicated Football, Futsal and Fitness Instructor Certification courses, each tailored to the specific technical and performance requirements of the respective discipline.
Rooted in the AFC’s steadfast efforts to establish the highest officiating standards in Asia, the programme emphasised not only on technical knowledge, but also the ability to analyse, teach, coach and translate technical expectations into enhanced referee performance.
All three categories featured tailored curricula, involving a mix of classroom sessions, presentations, video-based assessments and practical activities, with participants evaluated across technical credibility, analysis and feedback, and instructional delivery.
In the Football Instructor Certification, participants received valuable insights into the application of the Laws of the Game, match analysis, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) line of intervention and field-based activities, while the Futsal Instructor Certification centred on enhancing participants’ understanding of the Laws of Futsal and Futsal Video Support (FVS) protocols.
Meanwhile, the Fitness Instructor Certification featured a slightly different approach, with the focus resting heavily on the scientific and performance dimensions of refereeing, including scientific knowledge and data interpretation.
Aimed at assessing not only technical knowledge but also the candidates’ ability to instruct referees in a practical environment, the Football and Futsal participants underwent several practical assessments, match analysis and debriefing exercises, with particular emphasis placed on Key Match Incidents.
Participants were required to demonstrate their ability to analyse a range of match situations, identify areas for referee development and translate their observations into effective instructional interventions. The assessment examined their technical understanding as well as their ability to diagnose performance, communicate key learning points and support referees in improving their decision-making and overall match management.
Meanwhile, participants in the Fitness Instructor Certification assessed referee movement and physical performance throughout a match to identify individual development needs. Based on their observations, they were required to determine appropriate training interventions to support the referee’s physical preparation and future match performance.
The four-day capacity-building initiative concluded on Friday with final practical assessments, followed by an evaluation of the participants’ English language proficiency across all three certification streams.
With the programme aiming to provide greater consistency in referee education across the AFC Member Associations, the AFC Referee Instructor Certification 2026 marked another significant step forward in the Confederation’s efforts to maintain the highest standards of match officiating.
