Following successful meetings with the volleyball federations of Romania and Italy, the President of the European Referees Commission (ERC), Arturo Di Giacomo, was a guest of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation. The occasion was a special seminar held in Sofia on the eve of the start of the new season and the Bulgarian Supercup.

The event gathered leading referees, observers, and instructors who discussed the main trends and the vision of the European Referees Commission for the development of refereeing in modern volleyball. Di Giacomo presented the commission's philosophy regarding the preparation and training of referee-mentors – a key figure in the system for improving the quality and uniformity in refereeing.

"The goal is to build a unified style of interpreting and applying the rules so that refereeing is smooth, consistent, and understandable for everyone – from players and coaches to the audience," emphasized the commission's president.

A key focus of the presentations was the role of the referee-mentor in the training and development process for the next generation of elite referees. According to Di Giacomo, this model is vital for the sustainable improvement of the level of refereeing in Europe.

The Bulgarian Volleyball Federation welcomed the initiative and expressed its readiness to continue cooperation through future training, exchange of best practices, and participation of Bulgarian referees in international development programs.

photo: CEV