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INFORMATION: SUNRISE, Florida -- Jeffrey Webb met with CONCACAF and FIFA refereeing representatives on Tuesday evening for the first time since his election as the confederation's president last month.
The gathering, which took place a day prior to the opening of the CONCACAF Elite Men's Referee Course, reviewed the last 18 months of officiating activities in the region and previewed future plans.
"For me, this meeting is timely," said Webb in his welcoming address."CONCACAF must focus and prioritize.
"There is no place more important to prioritize than on the field of play with our players and referees."
Fernando Tresaco, senior manager of FIFA Refereeing Development, directed the session that was attended by 15 participants and concentrated primarily on the work of FIFA's Referee Assistance Program (RAP).
He emphasized that during the 2011-2014 cycle of RAP, FIFA is supporting its member associations in implementing the Regulations on the Organization of Refereeing in order to:
· Ensure uniform interpretation and application of the Laws of the Game
· Develop and improve the performance of registered referees in all matches under the auspices of member associations at all levels, thus improving standards at international level
· Develop programs for talented referees
· Increase the number of referees in the association
· Develop the referee instructor and referee assessor panels.
To those ends, in 2011, 45 RAP events were conducted in CONCACAF, consisting of 11 Futuro III courses (4 for Technical Instructors, 4 for Fitness Instructors and 3 for Referee Managers), as well as 25 member association refereeing courses and nine other activities.
"We have to invest and believe in what we are doing," Massimo Busacca, the Head of the FIFA Refereeing Department, told the audience."What we are doing is one of the most important things (in football)."
