Changes in the hierarchy of Albanian referees: The Arbitration Committee introduces a new system for the 2025-2026 season

The Albanian Football Federation has approved a series of important changes in the refereeing system for the upcoming 2025-2026 football season. The decisions were taken following the Executive Committee meeting, while the Arbitration Committee, in cooperation with the Refereeing Department, has proposed a complete restructuring of the titles and composition of referee categories and match officials.

The most notable change concerns the naming of the categories, adapting them to a more standardized and easier-to-follow structure:

First Category (formerly called “Superiore”)

Second Category (formerly “First Category”)

Third Category (formerly “Second Category”)

Amateur Category (formerly “Third Category”)

This reformatting aims to create a clearer hierarchy of referee and observer levels, improving the organization and control of matches at all levels of competition.

The composition of the categories for the 2025-2026 season is as follows:

First Category: 30 referees and 40 assistants

Second Category: 20 referees and 40 assistants

Third Category: 25 referees and 30 assistants

Amateur Category: 30 referees

According to the official announcement, this new structure is part of the strategy for developing refereeing in the country, taking into account the increasing level of competition in the main championships such as the Abissnet Superiore and the First Category.

Furthermore, the changes aim to provide more opportunities for training, professional advancement, and fair evaluation of referees based on performance and level of involvement.

This new system is expected to bring greater efficiency in delivering sporting justice and improve the overall quality of refereeing in Albanian football.

“KORÇA BOOM”