Doha: The Qatar Football Association's (QFA) winter training camp for its elite referees concluded Thursday at the Hilton Doha Hotel. The five-day camp aimed to technically and physically prepare officials for the upcoming challenges of the season.
According to Qatar News Agency, the camp featured a comprehensive training program, including technical and legal lectures in the mornings, physical training and practical exercises in the evenings, and interactive discussion sessions between the referees and instructors. These sessions focused on enhancing the referees' technical and legal readiness and improving their preparedness for upcoming challenges.
At the camp's conclusion, Chairman of the Referees Committee at QFA, Hani Taleb Ballan praised the referees' discipline throughout the camp and their commitment to maximizing the program's benefits. He emphasized the importance of continued hard work, dedication, and focus during this crucial phase of the football season.
Ballan also announced the adoption of a new mechanism for managing player injuries in the Doha Bank Stars League, to be implemented at the start of the second half of the season. This aligns with the latest guidelines from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which aim to reduce time-wasting, improve the flow of play, and promote fairness among competing teams.
He explained that the new mechanism requires injured players to leave the field for one minute when medical staff enter to provide treatment. The referee will have discretionary power to request medical intervention if they deem the player's continued presence on the field would delay the resumption of play, subject to clear regulations and approved exceptions.
The head of the Referees Committee confirmed that the Doha Bank Stars League will be the third league globally to implement time-based injury management mechanisms, similar to the English Premier League and Major League Soccer. The one-minute time limit was adopted to suit the nature of the local league, following coordination with the Qatar Football Association's Competitions Committee and the Qatar Stars League's Competitions Department.