The chairperson of the Nigeria Football Federation’s Referees Development Committee, Faith Irabor, has promised improved officiating at the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
Ms Irabor, a former FIFA-badged referee, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the Cooper test and training for referees in Abuja at the Moshood Abiola stadium.
She said that the changes in officiating would be in off-side and handball rules.
“It is only a deliberate handball that will be penalised,” she clarified. This is because if the ball hits the hand that is in its natural position, no foul will be given.
“If you watched the European Championship, you will discover that the referees did not punish players for handballs that were not deliberate.
“So the training, among others, is to educate the referees that when the hand is in its natural position and the ball hits it, the rule of the game has not been violated.”
Ms Irabor said that the essence of the test was to ensure that the referees are mentally and physically alert to make the best decisions.
She said that fit referees were dropped in the batch A training of the referees, which started on 19 August.
According to her, about 80 per cent of the referees that took part in the first batch of the test and training passed, while 20 per cent dropped out.
“The test and training were good in spite that some had to drop. I will say the performance was not bad because 80 percent were in the A group,” she said.
On the welfare of referees, she said that their welfare package has been increased by 100 per cent, unlike before.
She said that no referee was being owed his or her wage or indemnity, so the best of officiating is expected from them this season.
Ms Irabor said that this year’s Cooper test and training were holistic because management of the clubs that will participate in this year’s league was also part of the training.
“We invited the club coaches, secretary, and club captains to the training so that we will all be on the same page,” she added.
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She said the essence of training both the club management and the referees was to ensure that nobody violates the laws of the game.
The chairperson maintained that punishments would be meted out to those who violate the laws of the game.
NAN reports 250 referees took part in the exercise, with about 20 per cent of them dropping out.
NAN
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