Football Queensland to introduce new referee support measures in 2021

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Football Queensland have announced they will implement a range of new referee support measures for the 2021 season.

The news comes after a host of successful initiatives were launched across the sunshine state last year.

“Football Queensland is proud to be launching a range of new referee initiatives this year to provide even stronger support and development opportunities for our match officials across Queensland,” FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci said.

“We know that the growth of our game is underpinned by the quality and number of referees and coaches which is why we are so committed to increasing the number of referees in our game by improving development opportunities for match officials at all levels.

“With FQ’s significant investment in referees in 2020, it’s fantastic to see registration numbers already 20% higher than they were at this time in 2019, and we’re confident that these additional support measures we have in place across the state will continue to build on this increase in participation levels around Queensland.

“2021 will see the introduction of seven Referee Coach and Development Officers around the state, a buddy system for junior referees and new assessor and mentor ID tags as part of the ‘No Badge, No Bench, No Ref Room’ policy. We’re confident that we are on track to achieve our strategic target of 2,200 referees by 2022.”

“Football Queensland is committed to creating a family culture amongst our referees across the state through the implementation of a range of additional support measures this year,” FQ Senior Manager – State Referees Jacqui Hurford said.

“The recent announcement of the appointment of Referee Coach and Development Officers in seven of our ten zones is a huge boost for our game, and will assist FQ in the recruitment and retention of referees around the state while providing a new level of support to match officials from a local perspective.

“We’re also about to commence a monthly junior online coaching session and are excited to this year launch a buddy system for our junior referees, with more experienced referees acting as mentors to provide guidance and assistance throughout the season.

“To help upskill our instructors, mentors and referees, FQ has recently delivered instructor workshops in Far North and North Queensland, Wide Bay and Central Queensland.

“In line with the ‘No Badge, No Bench, No Ref Room’ policy mandated across all Queensland competitions this year, all referee assessors and mentors have been assigned identification tags to ensure they are registered and hold a valid blue card, supporting the safeguarding children measures currently in place in our game.

“Some of our clubs are also doing great work to support the recruitment and retention of referees, including Caboolture FC who supported 50 of their club referees through a referee course earlier this year.

“As Football Queensland continues to implement additional support measures, we look forward to welcoming more referees to our game from across the state.”

A list of the 2021 Football Queensland Referee Support Initiatives can be found below.

2021 FQ Referee Support Initiatives

Instructor workshops across regional parts of Queensland

Referee Coach and Development Officers in seven zones

Buddy system for junior referees

Monthly junior online coaching sessions

Referee assessor and mentor ID tags

 

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Football Victoria recognised in Pride in Sport Index 2026

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Image credit: Parilov / Shutterstock.com

The Silver Status shows Football Victoria‘s commitment to providing Victorians with a safe, inclusive landscape for all to enjoy the beautiful game.

Everyone’s game

Earlier this month, the Australian Pride in Sport Awards recognised several organisations and individuals across the nation who continue to champion inclusive spaces in the world of sport.

Among the nominees was Football Victoria, who received the Silver Status. FV Executive Manager Equity, Programs and Government Relations, Karen Pearce, expressed her pride at the achievement.

“Achieving Silver Status in the Pride in Sport Index is an important reflection of the work being done across Football Victoria to ensure LGBTQ+ people feel safe, welcomed and included in our game,” Pearce said via official press release.

“We remain committed to embedding inclusive practices across all levels of football, and continuing to create environments where everyone can belong, participate and thrive.”

 

Inclusion matters

While recognition is always a positive reflection of successful work behind the scenes, it is important to remember what the work intends to achieve.

Football – and sport in general – is a unique opportunity to bring diverse communities together, and to compete, spectate and enjoy the game on an equal playing field.

Furthermore, as custodians of ‘the world’s game’, governing bodies, fans and players around the world all share the responsibility to empower marginalised groups to feel included.

Two months ago, The Premier League introduced their own initiative – Premier League With Pride – reflecting their own commitment to ensuring football grounds, schools and academies remain welcoming.

 

Final thoughts

There is no place for hate or abuse in football, whether on a grassroots field or professional stadium.

Football Victoria will continue its journey and commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community – at all levels of the game – for many seasons to come.

Football Queensland to celebrate Female Football Week with statewide events, awards and coaching programs

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Brighton women's football motion
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Football Queensland will mark the 2026 Female Football Week with a program of statewide events, competitions and professional development opportunities running from May 8-17, as the governing body continues to push for broader access and representation across all levels of the women’s game in Queensland.

The nationwide initiative, now a fixture on the Australian football calendar, provides a concentrated period of visibility for female participation across playing, coaching, officiating and administration: areas where structural underrepresentation has historically limited both the growth of the game and the opportunities available to women and girls within it.

“Female Football Week provides us with a valuable opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women and girls across our game while continuing to increase the accessibility of football in Queensland,” said Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci. “We encourage our clubs to host their own Female Football Week events and activations for female participants.”

 

Elite Competition Meets Community Access

The centrepiece of Football Queensland’s program is the return of the NPL Women’s Magic Round to Nudgee Recreation Reserve on May 8 and 9, featuring five NPL Women’s Round 13 clashes alongside a Girls United Junior Carnival and family-friendly activations. Each Magic Round game will feature an all-female refereeing panel, a deliberate and visible commitment to developing the next generation of female match officials at a moment when referee shortages are among the most pressing structural challenges facing the game nationally.

A Women in Football networking event will be held on the opening night of Magic Round, bringing together coaches, match officials and administrators. The inclusion of that event alongside elite competition is significant because it positions professional development and community building not as supplementary activities but as core components of what Female Football Week is for.

The Central Coast region will host its own Magic Round on May 16, featuring a Youth Girls game and three FQPL Central Coast Women’s matches, while a Darling Downs Junior Girls Day will take place at Captain Cook Park on the same day, extending the reach of the week’s programming beyond the southeast corner of the state into regional Queensland.

 

Coaching access as a structural priority

Football Queensland will deliver a series of female-only coaching courses around Female Football Week, with clubs also able to express interest in hosting their own. The initiative addresses one of the most persistent barriers to female representation in football administration- its coaching pipeline.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented at all levels of the game in Australia, and the barriers to accreditation, including cost, availability and the cultural environment of mixed coaching courses, compound one another in ways that individual ambition alone cannot overcome. Female-only courses create environments where women can develop without those barriers, and their delivery during Female Football Week signals that the commitment extends beyond celebration into structural change.

The Girls United Carnivals, running in both Metro and Far North and Gulf regions alongside the Q-League Schools program at Meakin Park, extend that access to players at the earliest stages of their football journey.

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