WaiBOP Referee manager Campbell-Kirk (CK) Kawana-Waugh is heading to Paris this week, one of 89 match officials from across the globe to officiate at the XXXIII (33rd) Summer Olympic Games.

The Paris Olympic Games will be the third global tournament for Kawana-Waugh after last year officiating at the FIFA U-20 men’s tournament in Argentina and the FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

He was the fourth official for the semi-final between Manchester City and Urawa Red Diamonds.

He has just returned from Vanuatu, where he was involved in officiating in the OFC Men's Nations Cup. 

The Oceania Football Confederation will be represented at the Olympic Games by three officials, New Zealand referee Kawana-Waugh and assistant referees Isaac Trevis (Wellington) and Bernard Mutukera from the Solomon Islands.

While the official dates of the Olympic games are 26 July - 11 August, 2024, the football kicks off slightly earlier. 

The women’s tournament will start on July 25, 2024, and conclude with the gold medal match at the Parc des Princes in Paris on August 10, 2024.

The men’s competition will begin on July 24, 2024, while the gold medal match will take place on August 9, 2024, also at the Parc des Princes.

The FIFA Referees Committee appointed 89 match officials (21 referees, 42 assistant referees, 20 video match officials and six support referees) from 45 countries for the 2024 Olympics.

Match officials will be monitored before and during the Olympic Games by a team of FIFA technical trainers, including referees and video assistant referee (VAR) instructors, as well as match analysts, fitness coaches, physiotherapists and sports scientists, all of whom will provide the officials with the best possible guidance and support.

Referees in the women’s and men’s tournaments will be supported by goal‑line technology and the VAR system, including semi‑automated offside technology.

While the Olympic Football Tournaments Paris 2024 are this year’s flagship football competitions, for the selected match officials, they represent the next important step on the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

CK Kawana-Waugh (Holding Ball) at the 2024 OFC Nations Cup / Photo PhototekNZ

Football at the Olympics
The Olympic men's tournament is primarily an under-23 competition, with players required to be born on or after January 1, 2001, for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Each team is allowed to include up to three overage players. 

The women's tournament does not have any age restrictions, allowing teams to field their strongest squads without any age limitations.

The men's football competition has been an under-23 event since the 1992 Barcelona Games. 
Before this, the men’s Olympic football tournament had no age limit, but was restricted to amateur players. However, the definition of "amateur" varied, and many players were effectively professionals but not officially classified as such, particularly in countries where state sponsorship allowed athletes to train and compete full-time while technically being amateurs. 

The switch to an under-23 format was a compromise that removed some ambiguity. The under-23 format encourages the development of young players. It offers a significant competitive environment for emerging talents, helping them gain international experience early in their careers. It also distinguishes the Olympic football tournament from the FIFA World Cup, which is open to players of all ages. 

Women's football was included in the Olympics starting from the 1996 Atlanta Games. For many reasons, including bans in many countries during the last century, Women's football is relatively newer and still developing compared to men's football. Having no age restrictions allows for a stronger and more competitive tournament, which is important for the growth and popularity of the sport.
 

Article added: Wednesday 17 July 2024