Over 50 referees gathered in Matamata on Saturday for WaiBOP Football's yearly referee refresh day.
Led by WaiBOP Referee Manager CK Kawana-Waugh, with topics also presented by WaiBOP RDO Anna-Marie Keighley & instructor Nadia Browning, the officials spent most of the day in the classroom. They began with a review of law changes where 18 clips were discussed and the differences between the old and new interpretations were learnt.

The day was structured into four education sessions featuring video analysis and group discussions.

Referees were frequently reminded that they are part of matches to facilitate a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.

It was reiterated that referees should use management techniques by communicating with all players as well as coaches where appropriate, mainly at half-time and full-time, providing all parties do so in a respectful manner.

 

Law 3 states that team captain "has a degree of responsibility for the behaviour of the team".

Referees were encouraged to communicate more with team captains to assist them managing their teams/ players. 

Fitness assessments wrapped up the day. These tests are mandatory for all referees on NRFL Men's and Women's senior competitions and must be passed annually. They were optional for those who referee WaiBOP community and youth competitions. 

Law Changes for the 2025 season 

Law changes that aren't relevant to WaiBOP competitions (ie goal-line technology, VAR, wording technicalities, concussion subs & temporary dismissals) are excluded below. 

Law 3 

• Captains must wear an armband to identify them (also reiterated by the NZF Referee Committee) 

Law 12    

• Sanctions for handball inside the penalty area

  • A handball that is a deliberate action by the defender will still result in full sanction.

  • A handball that is a punishable offence but isn't a deliberate action (ie defender having their arm in an unnatural position) will result in the sanction being reduced. This is in-line with the "triple punishment" theory that IFAB introduced around challenges in prior years.   

Law 14

• Offences during the taking of a penalty

  • If an attacker or defender encroaches at a penalty, they have to have an impact for it to be penalised. 

    • An encroaching defender must impact the kicker, or play the ball or challenge an attacker for the ball which prevents the attacker scoring, attempting to score or creating a goal-scoring opportunity.

    • An encroaching attacker must impact the goalkeeper, or play the ball or challenge a defender for the ball and then score, attempt to score or create a goal-scoring opportunity  

Article added: Tuesday 11 March 2025