Referees from across Canada gathered this past weekend for the National Referee Camp, a preseason camp that integrates fitness testing, technical training, and classroom education to […]
Referees from across Canada gathered this past weekend for the National Referee Camp, a preseason camp that integrates fitness testing, technical training, and classroom education to ensure readiness for the upcoming professional season.
The camp brought together 85 referees, including FIFA and National match officials. It also featured two elite development streams—one for men and one for women—designed to cultivate emerging talent. This year, a key emphasis was placed on preparing referees for the launch of the Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s inaugural professional women’s soccer league, set to kick off on April 16.
“Ultimately, this camp is about making sure that referees are physically and mentally ready for the start of the professional season,” said Isaac Raymond, Canada Soccer’s Director of Refereeing. “The season is long, there’s a lot of travel and pressure for the referees, and what we want to do is give them the resources they need so that they can start the season well and continue throughout the rest of it.”
The fitness testing took place at the Hornets Nest Superdome in Ottawa, while classroom instruction and an awards banquet were held at the Westin Hotel. Over the weekend, referees underwent practical, technical, and physical evaluations, providing officiating directors with critical insights into their preparedness.
“One of the most important parts of this camp is that the referees can have some camaraderie and reconnect after the winter,” Raymond said. “Their collaboration and teamwork is a huge part of their success.”
The introduction of NSL has added a significant dimension to this year’s camp, particularly for female referees preparing to officiate in Canada’s first professional women’s league. Michelle Pye, the Women’s Program Education Lead, highlighted the importance of this achievement.
“My great objective is that we have only women referees working in the women’s league,” she said. “It’s really exciting for us to be able to not only improve the player development pathway, coaching, and women leadership roles, but we all now have referees that are getting that opportunity too, which we never had before.”
Referees at the camp valued the opportunity to receive instruction from top educators and refine their officiating techniques. Vasyl Dzikh, a Men’s Elite Program assistant referee, emphasized the importance of the training provided at the national level.
“We get so much education here that we might not get in the province,” he said. “We do the best that we can to learn as much as possible, the feedback from the instructors here at the camp is very important, but it is even more important to put it into action.”
For Salma Flores-Desrochers, a female referee, attending the camp marked both a professional and personal achievement.
“For me, it’s like the best opportunity that I could have,” she said. “I have been working for more than 10 years as a referee, and being around the top referees in the country is really an accomplishment, and I’m very humble about it.”
As the NSL’s inaugural season approaches, referees are committed to ensuring their performance meets the demands of the professional game. With an emphasis on skill development and officiating excellence, Canada’s referees are looking to have a major impact on the sport.
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