REFS Project Highlights the Importance of Supporting the Next Generation of Sport Officials
New research provides valuable insights into the recruitment, development and retention of young sport officials across Europe
The REFS â Inspiring the Next Generation of Sport Officials in Europe project has reached an important milestone with the publication of two new resources examining how sport organisations can attract, support and retain young people in officiating roles.
Funded through the Erasmus+ Sport Programme of the European Union, REFS is a three-year project running from January 2025 to December 2027. The project brings together partners from across Europe, including SportMalta, with the aim of strengthening the future of sport officiating by improving perceptions of officiating among children, attracting young people to officiating roles and supporting them to remain involved.
The newly published European Research Report on Children and Young People in Sport Officiating provides a substantial new evidence base on the experiences of young officials aged 14â20. The research combines a review of existing literature, interviews with 27 young officials from eight European countries and 12 sports, as well as a European survey which received 533 usable responses from 25 countries.
The findings highlight the strong connection between officiating and young people’s wider involvement in sport. More than nine in ten respondents also participated in sport themselves, while 30.4% indicated that they coached or trained others. A passion for sport was the strongest motivation for becoming an official, with 88.1% of respondents indicating that their love of sport influenced their decision. For 78.5%, officiating represented a way of remaining involved in sport.
The research also demonstrates the important role played by the people and organisations surrounding young athletes. Almost two-thirds of respondents had been encouraged to become officials by someone they respected, highlighting the influence of clubs, coaches, families, friends and schools.
Beyond the role itself, the research identifies a number of personal and professional benefits associated with officiating. Young officials reported developing skills including confidence, communication, leadership, decision-making, responsibility and resilience.
Around three-quarters of respondents felt confident managing games and difficult situations, while almost 80% said they were proud to be a sport official. These findings reinforce the potential of officiating to contribute not only to the delivery of sport, but also to the wider development of young people.
At the same time, the research identifies significant challenges which can affect young people’s willingness to enter or remain in officiating. Lack of respect was identified as a potential barrier by 69% of respondents, while 67.7% identified fear of abuse or criticism as a concern.
Among the 435 young officials who responded to questions about their experiences, 61.1% reported experiencing at least one form of abuse or negative treatment, with verbal abuse being the most commonly reported.
These findings underline the importance of creating sporting environments where young officials feel safe, respected, supported and valued.
Retention is another important focus of the REFS research. While 83.4% of respondents intended to continue officiating for at least another year, only 61.5% saw officiating as part of their longer-term future.
The research points to several factors that can influence retention, including unclear progression opportunities, limited support and the challenge of balancing officiating with education, employment, playing sport and other commitments.
Mentoring and a sense of belonging were identified as particularly important. Young officials who felt part of a community were more likely to feel proud of their role, recommend officiating to others and intend to continue.
The recommendations therefore include measures such as early mentoring or buddy systems, stronger safeguarding and reporting mechanisms, clearer progression pathways, peer networks, flexible systems and greater recognition of young officials.
Alongside the research report, the REFS project has also published a Compendium of Good Practice Examples featuring initiatives from football, hockey, school sport, athletics, rugby, handball and basketball.
The examples demonstrate different approaches to recruitment and retention, including mentoring programmes, progressive certification, peer learning, tournament experience, structured development pathways and safeguarding measures. Examples also include initiatives from Malta Handball, highlighting the contribution of Maltese sport to the wider European exchange of good practice.
The compendium provides practical examples that can be adapted by sport organisations, clubs, schools, federations and other stakeholders according to their own national and local contexts.
As a partner in the REFS project, SportMalta is contributing to a European collaboration focused on understanding and addressing the challenges faced by young sport officials.
The project provides an opportunity to exchange knowledge and good practices with organisations across Europe, while also supporting the development of approaches that can strengthen pathways into officiating and encourage young people to remain active within sport in different roles.
The overall aim of REFS is to inspire the next generation of sport officials in Europe by improving the image and perception of officiating among children aged 8â13, attracting young people aged 14â20 to officiating roles and supporting the retention of young officials.
The publication of these two resources marks an important step in that process, providing evidence and practical examples that can help shape future approaches to youth officiating across Europe.
For SportMalta, the project represents an opportunity to continue supporting the development of a sporting environment where young people can not only participate as athletes, but also lead, officiate, develop skills and contribute to the future of sport.
