World Cup referees are chosen under FIFA regulation. The process lasts 3 years and is managed by the FIFA Refereeing Department and FIFA Referee Assistance Program (RAP). Referees are chosen in teams of 3, with one designated head referee and two assistant referees.
The selection process for the 2014 Brazil World Cup began with the Club World Cup in Japan when referees of the tournament were examined to see if they were ready to be candidates for 2014. Based on referee performance, the FIFA Refereeing Department created a list of the 52 most elite referee teams. However, this list will be open until 2014 – if a referee does not pass fitness tests or fails in another manner, he will no longer be considered. The current open list can be viewed here.
Massimo Busacca is a former FIFA referee and now head of the FIFA Referee’s Department. Busacca, who refereed for 22 years and officiated at more than 100 top-level international matches, will lead the committee in charge of selecting the referees for 2014. According to Busacca, important factors to consider include testing of the game’s rules and regulations and physical and mental preparedness. Busacca’s focus for 2014 is on training:
“My priority is to create this group of elite referees, and we want to work in a professional way. We want to improve them like players are improving day-by-day through training sessions.”
Busacca sees the World Cup referees as an additional national team and himself as its coach. In an interview with Fifa.com, he explains, “We must be like a football team, must live and breathe football every day.”[10]
RAP was first introduced in 2007 and used in preparation for the 2010 World Cup to professionalize referees at both the national and international level.[11] Fifty-four referee teams went into the inaugural program and had their performances at FIFA tournaments evaluated. The program consisted of monthly fitness monitoring, psychological analyses of game demeanor, and seminars on the laws of the game. For the 30 teams selected to officiate in the World Cup, sports psychologists helped the officials to develop a personalized strategy to with the pressures. RAP instructors also maintain close contact with referees throughout the World Cup to discuss concerns.
2014 World Cup candidates met in Zurich in September
- See more at:
http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/world-cu...d-cup-selection-process/#sthash.knzGmm06.dpuf
