– 14 years ago, I signed up for a refereeing course and bought a whistle. That whistle was my ticket to many beautiful places and wonderful stadiums in Poland and Europe, and even in Japan. I experienced things that can neither be described nor forgotten – says Damian Sylwestrzak, an international referee from Wrocław.
The Wrocław native, who referees PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa matches on a daily basis, has officiated two Champions League and two Europa League matches this season, visiting, among other places, Lisbon and Lille in France.
14 years ago, however, he went to the headquarters of the Lower Silesian Football Association and asked how he could become a football referee.
Fourteen years later, more than 300 women and men from Lower Silesia want to follow in his footsteps. This time, they are applying to referee not at the Association's headquarters, but through an online form prepared for referee candidates by representatives of the College of Referees. Never before in the history of Lower Silesia have so many people decided to try their hand with a whistle on the green pitch.
2026? A record number of candidates!
– We have 330 applications. That is an incredible number, twice the previous application record – says Marek Kotlarz, vice-president of the Lower Silesian Football Association, responsible for innovation, and head of the College of Referees in Lower Silesia.
Kotlarz points out that the number is still rising because the registration period has been extended. – We invite you! We are still waiting for applicants.
Applications are being accepted in four districts of Lower Silesia corresponding to the “old voivodeships.” More than half of the candidates come from the Wrocław district, where the largest number of teams in the entire voivodeship take part in football competition every weekend.
More than 60 people have applied in the Legnica district, and 40 each in Jelenia Góra and Wałbrzych.
Mentoring programs, no throwing newcomers in at the deep end
The situation of referees in Poland was discussed extensively during the Polish Football Congress in Wrocław in 2025. Data presented by representatives of the refereeing community from across Poland and by the regional Football Associations showed how many problems new referees encounter.
The ratio of referees to the number of players and matches played is the lowest among the largest members of the UEFA family. The dropout rate after the first half-year reaches 50 percent, while in voivodeships such as Warmian-Masurian, referees travel dozens of kilometres to reach matches.
In one of the regional Colleges of Referees, the coordinator responsible for football officials admitted: – We have a taxi driver who keeps a referee's kit in his boot and has been with us for years. Someone oversleeps or cannot get to a match? One phone call and our colleague is always available. We lack referees; on average, one referee has 2.4 matches per weekend, and that is a worrying statistic – one of the Lower Silesian officials recounted.
– The first round as a referee is the most important, because this half-year sees the highest percentage of resignations in Poland. For years, we have been looking for solutions to help new officials begin this adventure smoothly. They are assigned mentors who support them during this period, they undergo additional training, their development is monitored, and the difficulty of the matches is adjusted to their current abilities – says Marcin Polański, secretary of the Lower Silesian College of Referees.
This is the side of the coin that cannot be hidden. Besides, if a 19-year-old goes to a B-Class match, where men around 50 often compete on Sunday mornings, frequently with football backgrounds at the central level and experience talking to Ekstraklasa or I League referees, it is difficult for a young refereeing apprentice not to doubt, even for a moment, their excellent knowledge of the book titled The Laws of the Game.
– In Poland, there is a strange belief that a referee cannot make mistakes. But where are they supposed to learn to referee? Players in the lower leagues hit the target from 30 metres once every few shots, and we accept that, because grassroots football provides tremendous excitement regardless of the level on display. But let us also respect one another and accept the fact that nobody makes mistakes deliberately: neither a footballer nor a referee. Football is great weekend entertainment for thousands of women and men from Lower Silesia – adds Marcin Polański.
Entertainment? 10/10!
Exactly. Refereeing is… fantastic fun!
– This year, the College of Referees has prepared a surprise for female and male football referee candidates. Before the course even begins, they can try their hand as occasional assistant referees, helping referees on the touchline during friendly matches throughout Lower Silesia - says Adam Michalik, vice-president of the Lower Silesian Football Association.
And how do the candidates assess it? – Fun 10/10 – writes one of them in the group where candidates exchange experiences from the pitch and initially solve quizzes on the laws.
– I used to go to matches anyway, and now I will watch them from the best perspective – writes another candidate.
The main course begins in the four districts on different dates. The first Wrocław meeting for candidates will take place in the lecture rooms of the University of Environmental and Life Sciences on Monday, 16 February.
Registration is still open and will close on 11 February 2026. You can register using the form available at: forms.gle.