MUSCAT: The Oman Handball Association, represented by its Referees Committee, held a central seminar for referees across different grades yesterday, Sunday, as part of preparations for the 2026/2027 sports season.
The seminar brought together 35 referees, including both men and women, and was held at the meeting and conference hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. The event was held under the auspices of Qais bin Mohammed al Mushaifri, Deputy Chairman of the Athletes’ Preparation Centres Committee at the Oman Handball Association.
The seminar was led by Abdulridha bin Mohammed al Sheikh, Chairman of the Referees Committee, and Asian lecturer Zuher Khalid Samha, a refereeing expert and acting technical expert at the association. The programme covered a range of technical and organisational topics aimed at strengthening the readiness of refereeing teams ahead of the new season.
The seminar forms part of the association’s ongoing efforts to develop the refereeing system, improve the technical standards of referees and ensure greater consistency in the interpretation and application of the Laws of the Game.
A key focus of the programme was the need to maintain a unified approach among referees when making decisions during matches, particularly in light of recent developments and amendments to the handball laws. The latest changes were explained in detail, with discussions focusing on how they should be applied during competitions.
The participants also reviewed the competition calendar for the 2026/2027 season, as well as regulations governing player age groups in youth competitions. The session addressed the eligibility of four youth players to participate in the junior category and the regulations allowing youth players to represent first teams in the First and Second Division competitions, subject to the approved rules and conditions.
The seminar also provided an opportunity to review the main positives from the 2025/2026 season, while examining the challenges, observations and shortcomings that emerged during last season’s competitions. The discussions aimed to identify practical solutions and ensure that previous issues are addressed before the start of the new campaign.
The new season will feature eight major competitions: the Junior League, Youth League, Super Cup, First Division, Second Division, Association Cup, Beach Handball League and Women’s League.
The organisers stressed that the seminar was not limited to technical matters, but also sought to strengthen communication and cooperation between the Referees Committee and refereeing teams throughout the season.
The event concluded with an open discussion in which referees presented their suggestions, ideas and initiatives for improving competitions and further developing the refereeing system.
The association hopes that the preparatory programme will contribute to a higher level of refereeing performance and help ensure consistent decision-making across all competitions during the 2026/2027 season.
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