ISL referee workshop for AIFF officials concludes

The Indian Super League (ISL) annual referees' workshop for All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials for the fourth consecutive year concluded on Friday.

The three-day workshop, organised in Navi Mumbai, was conducted by well-known FIFA instructor Valentin Ivanov for 54 match officials, including 18 referees, 18 assistant referees and 18 referee assessors.

Ivanov has a vast International referring experience that includes 26 UEFA Champions League matches, Finals of Confederations Cup 2003 and Finals of European/South American Cup 2003.

He has also worked with the U-17 World Cup 2017 panel of referees.

Speaking on his experience at the workshop workshop, Ivanov said: "We had excellent facilities and the officials are very intelligent and eager to learn. Indian referees must officiate more games in the ISL and be reliable referees in their own country. They should have meetings more often to analyse game situations regularly."

The workshop was designed to cover all relative aspects of game scenarios with focus on maintaining on-pitch discipline, enhancing tactical understanding of the game, managing pressure situation and intensity of officiating at highest level as well as inculcating the core values of refereeing.

It consisted of both theory and practical sessions covering varied topics related to match officials and referee assessment methods with an endeavour to improve the overall structure and development of referees in India.