ASIAN INTERNATIONAL REFEREE CANDIDATE COURSE UNDER WAY IN CHINESE TAIPEI

Bangkok, Thailand, March 6, 2023 – The Asian International Referee Candidate Course (AIRCC) is now under way in Taichung City, Chinese Taipei, with a total of 21 candidates from 12 countries – 17 men and 4 women – actively attending to learn the rules of the game and relevant refereeing matters.

The course from March 6 to 12 is jointly conducted by Course Director Mr Songsak Chareonpong from Thailand, himself AVC Referees Committee Chairman and Member of the FIVB Rules of the Game and Refereeing Commission, and Course Instructor Mr Takashi Shimoyama from Japan, who is also AVC Referees Committee Secretary, both of them long-time members of the AVC and with a wealth of refereeing experience in the sport.

Mr Lai Dong-Hong from Taichung Government Sport Bureau and Mr Chang Chin-Jong, Secretary General of Chinese Taipei Volleyball Association, jointly presided over the opening ceremony at The Splendor Hotel in Taichung on Monday.

These aspiring course attendants from Japan, Macao, Philippines, Korea, Hong Kong China, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Chinese Taipei stand a chance to learn theoretical and practical skills necessary to be a match official, while Course Director Mr Songsak and Course Instructor Mr Shimoyama did not only review the rules of the game, but used video analyses as well in order to make all candidates familiar with the actual interpretation and correct implementation of the rules.

From Day 1 to Day 3, the course will focus mainly on theoretical part, emphasizing on new modification of official Volleyball Rules of the Game and Refereeing Guidelines and Instructions and Case book aside from use of new technology including the AVC E-Scoresheet and AVC VDO Challenge.

The practical session will take place from Day 4 to Day 7 when all participants will have to officiate at least one match as First referee, Second referee, Scorer (E-Scoresheet), Assistant scorer and Line judge by use of the Ju-Guang Cup (High school final round) as a test of practical skills.

This variety of functions certainly helped them have a full understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all match officials – an ability they will need to develop even further as soon as they start their journey to confirm their status as accomplished referees in the near future.