By Scott Gleba
MIAMI, Florida -- The third annual CONCACAF Elite Referee Course started today in Miami.Twenty-four referees from 11 countries within the Confederation have convened for four days of intensive instruction, match analysis and fitness training.
"With the assistance of the FIFA RAP (Referee Assistance Program) program, which CONCACAF was responsible for proposing, we have been able to provide a special course and incentive for our top referees," said Ted Howard, CONCACAF Deputy General Secretary."By bringing them together, we can create greater consistency in their interpretations and to further develop their potential."
The course has been specifically crafted for those referees identified as the best in CONCACAF, allowing them to work together and promote further development.
An expert panel of instructors traveled to Florida to conduct the sessions, including Fernando Tresaco (FIFA Head of Refereeing, Switzerland), Peter Prendergast (FIFA Instructor, Jamaica), Merere Gonzales (FIFA Fitness Instructor, Trinidad & Tobago), Rodolfo Sibrian (FIFA Instructor, El Salvador) and Edwin Silva (FIFA Fitness Instructor, Honduras).CONCACAF Referees Commission member Aaron Padilla of Mexico is also present.
Some of the topics and activities expected to highlight the week are:guidelines for referees and assistant referees, amendments to the Laws of the Games, match management, fitness training and feedback.
"This is just part of our overall referee development program, which includes annual referee courses for our member associations, referee instructor and assessor courses," added Howard."Plus, starting this year, separate elite referee courses will be held in Central America and the Caribbean for the next level of referees."
The four CONCACAF game officials who worked the recently completed FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa (Benito Archundia and Marco Rodriguez of Mexico, Carlos Batres of Guatemala and Joel Aguilar of El Salvador) were excused from participating.
Next year, the course will be held in preparation for the Gold Cup during the week leading up to the competition.
CONCACAF Elite Referee Course
2010 Participants
Barbados
Trevor Taylor
Canada
Paul Ward
Costa RIca
Hugo Cruz
Walter Quesada
El Salvador
Elmer Bonilla
Marlon Mejia
Guatemala
Juan Carlos Guerra
Walter Lopez
Guyana
Stanley Lancaster
Honduras
Oscar Moncada
Jose Pineda
Jamaica
Raymond Bogle
Courtney Campbell
Mexico
Paul Delgadillo
Roberto Garcia
Mauricio Morales
Panama
Roberto Moreno
Luis Rodriguez
Trinidad & Tobago
Neal Brizan
USA
Mark Geiger
Jair Marrufo
Ricardo Salazar
Baldomero Toledo
Terry Vaughn
