U-17 WC will see a female assistant referee in a FIFA men’s competition for first time

New Delhi, October 2: The U-17 World Cup will first time see a female assistant referee in a FIFA men’s competition in 2017. The governing body of football, FIFA said that it's time for elite female support referees to be involved in a men's competition.

For the first-ever time, they have selected female referees for a men's tournament, FIFA said. To officiate in men's competitions together with their male colleagues, the results and improvements seen in the joint preparations have shown the time has come for elite female referees said the FIFA's Head of Refereeing Massimo Busacca.

 

To officiate the 52 matches in the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be played in six Indian cities from October 6-28, seven female assistant referees from across the world, one from each continent, have been chosen by FIFA along with 70 male referees.

The lifetime opportunity has been given to 16 AIFF match officials, comprising eight referees and eight assistant referees to train with the 77 enlisted FIFA officials who will be in charge during the U-17 World Cup.

The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup will take place in Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai and New Delhi between 6 and 28 October 2017. On 28 October the final will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in Kolkata.