Refereeing Beyond Borders
A completed Erasmus+ Sport project connecting young referees, mentors and partner organisations through international mobility, education and shared European values.
Refereeing Beyond Borders
Cultivating Skills, Values and Social Inclusion through Football Refereeing
REF-B-B
ERASMUS-SPORT-2024-SSCP
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Refereeing development without borders
The Project
Refereeing Beyond Borders was created to support young referees through international match experience, mentoring, education and cultural exchange.
Coordinated by Referee Abroad and co-funded through Erasmus+ Sport, the project brought together organisations from across Europe to develop technical skills, confidence, communication, independence and social inclusion.
International tournaments became practical learning environments where referees could work with colleagues from different countries, receive structured feedback and reflect on their development both on and off the field.
EUROPEAN COOPERATION
Our Project Partners
The project was delivered through cooperation between referee organisations, football associations and educational partners from across Europe.
REFEREE ABROAD
ITALY 🇮🇹
Referee Abroad coordinated the project, bringing together football associations, referee organisations and educational partners from across Europe. Throughout the project, the coordinator oversaw implementation, financial management, dissemination activities and the organisation of international mobility opportunities for young referees.
APAF
PORTUGAL 🇵🇹
APAF contributed its experience in referee education and supported project activities and participant development in Portugal.
ZNSS
SLOVENIA 🇸🇮
ZNSS supported the participation and development of young Slovenian referees and contributed to the exchange of refereeing practices.
FRF
ROMANIA 🇷🇴
The Romanian Football Federation supported participant development, project cooperation and the evaluation and concluding phases of the initiative.
BMR Fundacja
POLAND 🇵🇱
The organisation supported Polish participants and contributed its local refereeing experience to the project’s European exchange.
Paris World Games
FRANCE 🇫🇷
Paris World Games provided an international tournament environment in which young referees could gain practical experience and work across cultures.
OFB & DFU
AUSTRIA 🇦🇹 & DENMARK 🇩🇰
The Austrian Football Association and Danish Football Referees Union, while not among the original partners, were invited to contribute their expertise and supported the development and international mobility of participating referees.
FROM PLANNING TO IMPACT
The Project Journey
The project began at the Italian Football Federation’s prestigious Coverciano Technical Centre, where representatives of the partner organisations came together to establish the shared objectives, activities and educational approach of Refereeing Beyond Borders.
01
Preparation
Partner organisations selected participants, agreed learning objectives and developed a shared approach to observation and feedback. A kick-off meeting in Coverciano set the stage for the project.
02
International mobility
Young referees, selected by our partners, travelled to project activities and international tournaments in Portugal, France and Sweden. Extra activities involved young talents and referee observers from across Europe.
03
Mentoring and exchange
Participants received match observation, individual feedback and opportunities to work with referees from different countries and cultures. Further on-line activities were organised such as webinars with relevabt figures from the international refereeing community.
04
Evaluation and legacy
The project concluded with an assessment of its impact, dissemination of its outcomes and preparation of resources for future cooperation. A final evaluation meeting was held in Romania to discuss the project’s outcomes and future cooperation.
Learning through international tournaments
Project Activities
Throughout the project, participants took part in a series of international activities hosted in Portugal, France and Sweden. These tournaments became living classrooms where young referees officiated international matches, exchanged experiences with colleagues from across Europe and received structured mentoring from experienced observers. Every match, discussion and cultural exchange contributed to their personal and refereeing development.
ERASMUS+ BY THE NUMBERS
Project Impact
Across flagship events, elite mentors, and international tournaments, Referee Abroad continues to shape the future of global refereeing.
60+
Referees took part in the Refereeing Beyond Borders project
5+
Tournaments and international activities organised
8
European partner organisations involved in the project
PROJECT FILM
Our Documentary
The Refereeing Beyond Borders documentary follows the project from its launch at Coverciano to international activities in Portugal, France and Sweden.
Through the experiences of young referees, mentors and partner organisations, it shows how international mobility, mentoring and cultural exchange contributed to the participants’ development both on and off the field.
🇮🇹 🇷🇴 🇸🇮 🇵🇹 🇫🇷 🇵🇱 🇦🇹 🇩🇰
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
