The Cayman Islands Football Association will be hosting its FIFA Referee Assistance Programme (“RAP”) course between the 5th – 9th October 2011.

FIFA’s Referees Assistance Program (RAP) was founded in December 2007 and is designed to help professionalize the environment in which referees work and develop.  The main goal of the RAP is to unify the way the laws of the game are applied throughout the world, that is, uniformity of interpretation and application of the laws. Football is a global sport and its rules must be interpreted and applied with absolute consistency wherever the game is played. As the global governing body for the sport of football, the FIFA has a policy of ongoing training for its referees, in order to ensure that refereeing standards continue to improve and the laws of the game are applied the same way everywhere.

FIFA Referee Development Officer, Mr. Ramesh Ramdhan, and FIFA Referee Instructor, Mr. Peter Prendergast, will work with CIFA’s local instructors to deliver this program to the Cayman Islands referees. At the course, referees are guided by the FIFA and local instructors through classroom sessions, as well as practical exercises on the playing field and a fitness test. The practical sessions are crucial, because they allow the referees to put what they have learnt into action. One of FIFA’s goals is to devise and implement training programmes that prepare both male and female referees for the most important FIFA tournaments. The FIFA officials who will be in charge for the Cayman Islands 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Suriname this Friday at Truman Bodden Sports Complex all hail from the United States. Currently there are 50 registered referees within the Cayman Islands – 4 of which are appointed FIFA officials. The course will begin with an opening ceremony tomorrow evening at 5:45 p.m. at the Marriott hotel.

To get you’re 2014 FIFA World Cup tickets for the Cayman Islands upcoming game against Suriname this Friday please visit the following ticket outlets: Fosters Food Fair, Western Union Money Centre, Funky Tangs, Reflections, Sports Port LTD, Captains Bakery, and Latin Taste. Tickets are priced at $15 for Adults and $5 for Children under 12. On the day of the game, tickets will be available at the Field of Dreams from 4 p.m. Tickets will not be sold at the gate.