Elite League Referees complete refresher training session

Guyana Football Federation (GFF) referees officiating in the KFC Elite League Season Six completed the first of two July refresher training sessions on Sunday, as the nation’s premier male tournament enters its final six weeks of competition.
A total of 14 match officials, including FIFA Referee Shavin Greene, and FIFA Assistant Referees Kleon Lindey and Denisha Isaacs, trained in challenging conditions at the GFF National Training Centre (NTC) in Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on July 14.
They participated in a fitness training session, on-field drills, and simulated game scenarios, with a particular emphasis on situations in and around the penalty area.
Additionally, the group engaged in classroom discussions aimed at improving call accuracy.
The refresher session was facilitated by retired FIFA Referee Sherwin Johnson and Referee Instructor/Assessor Abdulla Hamid.
Lenval Peart, Head of the Referees Department, also attended the session with some encouraging words to the referees.
Referee Instructor/Assessor Hamid explained that Sunday’s session primarily focused on incidents in and around the penalty area due to teams “playing a lot of balls in the killing zone, which is in the shooting zone. So, we need the referee to be a part of that, knowing how to get in and how to get out and at the same time monitoring the activity in and around the penalty area.”
Hamid noted that the referees and assistant referees showed high levels of focus, describing their performance as “above par, about 85 to 87 per cent”.
He added that another session was scheduled for later this month to further enhance their skills and readiness for the last weeks of the Elite League.
Round Two of the KFC Elite League Season Six kicked off on May 25 and will conclude late August. It features a total of 45 matches contested by 10 of Guyana’s premier clubs: defending champions Guyana Defence Force FC, Slingerz FC, Guyana Police Force FC, Western Tigers FC, Santos FC, Den Amstel FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Ann’s Grove United FC, Monedderlust FC and Buxton United FC.

FIFA Referee Greene shared that the session “was great for me. We love working together as a team. We did situations where it was match-related situations where we think we need improvement for these games… because the teams now are playing great football, it’s only right that the referees step their game up and be able to match what the league is offering right now. We’re enjoying the session.”
Over the next six weeks, matches are expected to intensify, with the top three clubs – Guyana Defence Force FC, Slingerz FC, and Guyana Police Force FC – aiming to maintain their positions for a chance at the title.
Meanwhile, the bottom two teams, Monedderlust FC and Buxton United FC, are striving to climb the table and avoid relegation.
Clubs are competing for top prizes of $2,000,000, $1,200,000, $800,000 and $500,000 respectively.
The GFF Referees Department is dedicated to ensuring that matches in the league are officiated to the highest international standards with credibility. The next refresher session is scheduled for July 28.