guncurug: Januari 2016

Vergara instructing at the 2016 PRO training camp

22.13

Preparations are well under way ahead of the 2016 season, and the first PRO preseason training camp of the year will take place in Phoenix, Arizona, from January 29 to January 31. The camp will be attended by all of the Organization's officials, assessors and support staff. Whilst in Phoenix, all staff will participate in various sessions covering a number of topics, whilst reviewing 2015 and looking ahead to the upcoming season. PRO Sports Scientists Matt Hawkey and Andy Bosak will put the officials through their paces in a series of fitness tests, and Sports Nutritionist Gena Wollenberg will also be on hand to offer guidance. A number of guest attendees will be present to speak about various aspects of the game, from offside interpretation to consistent application of the law, and all staff will receive their new kit for the season.

PRO's Referee Manager Michael Kennedy said: �This upcoming seminar in Phoenix is a time to review the good practices our hard-working group displayed last season. However, more importantly, to strive for further consistency in the application of the laws and continue to adapt to the increased demands of the modern game. These match officials set high standards for themselves and our objective is to give them the tools to reach their goals.�

Paul Rejer, PRO's Training & Development Manager, added: �This is our biggest event of the year and it gives us the opportunity to review last season and discuss initiates for this forthcoming season. We have FIFA instructors Hector Vergara (photo) and Peter Prendergast in attendance, presenting on important issues such as the offside interpretation and positioning, and have a Sports Psychologist to assist our guys, all with the aim of improving performance. We are also utilizing recently retired successful assistant referees Greg Barkey and Bill Dittmar. Greg, in his role as PRO�s new AR Manager, will be addressing the ARs with his expectations and Bill, with the experience of his business life as a motivational speaker, will close the weekend as keynote speaker�.

Source: PRO

News

CONCACAF Statutes Reforms

09.16

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football�s (CONCACAF) Executive Committee submitted for consideration of its Member Associations a package of reforms and amendments to the Confederation�s statutes. The amendments to CONCACAF�s statutes will be discussed in advance of CONCACAF�s XXI Extraordinary Congress, and voted on by Member Associations in Zurich, Switzerland, on 25 February 2016. The statutory changes under consideration were developed by CONCACAF�s Statutes Reform Committee to incorporate recommendations made by the FIFA Reform Committee and commitments made in the CONCACAF Reform Framework. The CONCACAF Reform Framework was unanimously approved by CONCACAF�s Executive Committee on 4 July 2015, and put in place to guide the Confederation�s reform process to separate politics from the business and administration of the game, and align the Confederation�s governance and business operations with corporate best practices. The reforms include the establishment of an up to 15-member CONCACAF Council which would include representation from all three geographic regions (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) within CONCACAF as well as a requirement that three of the members are independent. Other changes include the creation of a number of independent committees covering auditing and compliance, compensation, finance and governance. The members of both the committees and the CONCACAF Council would be limited to terms of twelve years, whether served consecutively or non-consecutively. All candidates for positions in CONCACAF will be subject to ethics checks by an independent ethics committee. The new package of reforms also calls for the right to audit member federations to ensure that they are not spending CONCACAF money improperly. Finally, compensation packages for confederation executives would be reviewed and approved on a yearly basis.

Specific reforms include:

� Governance: The establishment of the CONCACAF Council to replace the current Executive Committee. The CONCACAF Council will consist of up to fifteen members with representation from each of CONCACAF�s three geographic Unions, including a proposal to require three members to be independent.

� Independent Committees: The creation of a Compensation Committee, Governance Committee, Audit and Compliance Committee, and Finance Committee. The Compensation and Audit and Compliance Committees are to be comprised entirely of independent members. The Governance and Finance Committees are to be chaired by and comprised of a number of independent members.

� Ethics: A requirement for all candidates for the CONCACAF Council, CONCACAF President, standing committee members, members of judicial bodies, and senior Confederation officials to undergo eligibility checks to be conducted by an independent Ethics Committee.

� Term Limits: The introduction of term limits of twelve years (consecutive or non-consecutive) for CONCACAF Council members and members of independent committees.

� Transparency: The Congress is given authority to review and approve on an annual basis, upon the recommendation of the independent Compensation Committee, the remuneration and other compensation of CONCACAF Council members, CONCACAF representatives before FIFA, the chairpersons of the Audit and Compliance Committee, Finance Committee, Compensation Committee and the Governance Committee, and senior officials including the General Secretary, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.

� Accountability: The right of CONCACAF to audit any Member Association or Union receiving CONCACAF funds for a specific purpose to ensure that such funds are being used for said purpose.

Transitional provisions regarding the implementation of the Statutes:
o All provisions take place immediately, unless otherwise prescribed.
o Transitions for term limits for existing members of the Executive Committee shall take into account their prior terms provided such member may serve the remaining term of his or her existing term plus one additional term.
o All independent members of the CONCACAF Council and independent members of the committees must be elected at the next Ordinary Congress with their staggered terms to run from that Congress.
o All governance provisions applicable to MAs whose statutes are not currently in compliance with Article 12 have until January 2017 to comply � all other governance guidelines and provisions shall be applicable immediately.
o If the FIFA Statutes provision applicable to the expansion of the FIFA Council is not approved by the FIFA Congress, such provisions in the CONCACAF Statutes are deleted and inapplicable.
o Provision that the President cannot be the President of a Member Association effective at the end of the next Men�s World Cup.
o Composition of standing committees to be determined by the CONCACAF Council.
o CONCACAF Council shall delegate the conducting of eligibility check required to be conducted to a third party until the Ethics Committee is constituted.
o The CONCACAF Council may determine whether any provision�s compliance period should be extended but not past the next Men�s World Cup.

Source: CONCACAF

News

Chenard voted third-best female referee in CONCACAF

06.41

News

CONCACAF Refereeing Review

15.32

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced today that it has finalized the review of its Referee Department, conducted as a result of concerns raised following the 2015 Gold Cup quarter-final and semi-final matches, held in the United States last July. The review assessed the state of CONCACAF�s Referee Department, with particular attention paid to the controversial decisions during Gold Cup 2015, the referee strikes at the Gold Cup 2015 and Toronto Pan American Games 2015, and the overall operations of CONCACAF�s Referee Department. Following the review, CONCACAF confirmed that it has parted ways with Sonia Denoncourt, who was heading the referee department, and a search for her replacement is currently under way. Denoncourt, a former Canadian referee who previously used to work for FIFA's women referee development program, held the CONCACAF Director of Refereeing position for less than one year.

Key conclusions and recommendations based on the review include:
- CONCACAF found no clear or convincing evidence of match fixing or an intentional effort to affect the results of the Gold Cup 2015 matches. Each of the decisions during the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Gold Cup 2015 could be attributed to simple mistakes, errors in positioning, and/or lack of concentration. Based on interviews and statements from referees, it is possible that a number of external circumstances, most notably recent labor disputes by the referee group and internal disputes, were an unnecessary distraction for the referees at a critical time. In interviews, the referees admitted personal errors and apologized for them.
- CONCACAF determined that the referee and match official appointment process requires reform. The Confederation�s current procedure differs from the guidelines provided by FIFA, and has led to mistakes, valid criticism from many stakeholders, and information leaks.
- CONCACAF identified areas for administrative improvement in the planning and structure of the Referee Department. These improvements will address referee payment and reimbursement issues, as well as various other procedural and management functions within the referee group.
- CONCACAF had not increased remuneration for referees in recent years with the exception of Gold Cup 2013, which was done across the board for all match officials and referees, but only for that tournament. CONCACAF has reviewed the current compensation policy and is in the process of implementing new financial terms for referees and other match officials.
- CONCACAF is restructuring the Referee Department and is currently searching for a new Director of Refereeing. The Confederation will undertake a rigorous and public search to find someone with the experience and effective management skills to establish a successful regional structure. This person will play a key role in developing a professional refereeing workforce that enables CONCACAF to achieve and maintain a consistent high-quality performance on the field.
- CONCACAF will improve the Match Official appointment process and adopt best practices similar to those from FIFA and other world-class member associations. This new process, and enhanced procedures, are expected to serve as the foundation for a strong and effective Refereeing function within the CONCACAF region.
The Referee Department review was conducted by Acting General Secretary Ted Howard at the request of CONCACAF�s Executive Committee. The review process included interviews with referees, officials, technical staff, and members of the CONCACAF Referee Advisory group. It also included a review of match monitoring reports from Gold Cup 2015 and an assessment of the referee appointment process for all CONCACAF competitions. �CONCACAF�s referees are critical to our organization�s mission, and we are proud to have dedicated officials working to ensure that the Confederation�s tournaments are officiated with integrity�, said CONCACAF Acting General Secretary Ted Howard. �We are committed to making the necessary improvements to our Referee Department to ensure that it operates effectively. These changes will provide our referees, officials, and assessors with the proper structure, training, and support to carry out their responsibilities on the field, while acting in the best interests of the game.� In addition, Acting General Secretary Ted Howard personally monitored the process to appoint referees for the competitions that took place, or are scheduled to take place, after the conclusion of Gold Cup 2015.

Source: CONCACAF