Ranking
The
UEFA Refereeing Unit is broken down into five experience-based
categories. A referee is initially placed into Category 4 with the
exception of referees from France, Germany, England, Italy, or Spain.
Referees from these five countries are typically comfortable with top
professional matches and are therefore directly placed into Category 3.
Each referee's performance is observed and evaluated after every match;
his category may be revised twice per season, but a referee cannot be
promoted directly from Category 3 to the Elite Category.
Appointment
In
co-operation with the UEFA Refereeing Unit, the UEFA Referee Committee
is responsible for appointing referees to matches. Referees are
appointed based on previous matches, marks, performances, and fitness
levels. To discourage bias, the Champions League takes nationality into
account. No referee may be of the same origins as any club in his or her
respecting groups. Referee appointments, suggested by the UEFA
Refereeing Unit, are sent to the UEFA Referee Committee to be discussed
and/or revised. After a consensus is made, the name of the appointed
referee remains confidential up to two days before the match for the
purpose of minimising public influence.
