EXCLUSIVE | Josh Brammer Referees Abroad

Recently, one of our members Josh Brammer travelled to the Costa Del Sol to officiate at the Ibercup in Spain through an experience package with Referee Abroad. Josh is a level 6 referee after recently achieving promotion in the past few months. Josh has previously been to a Referee Abroad experience in 2023 where he visited Cascais, Lisbon to officiate at the Ibercup Cascais. The experience lasts roughly 5-6 days with an arrival and departure day. The tournaments tend to run over a weekend lasting 4 days. Group stages tend to run across the first two days, with knockouts in the second to last day with semi-finals. Then the final day could include the occasional semi-final as well as finals.

Referee Abroad 2024 | Ibercup Spain Officials

Firstly, what is it like to officiate in an International tournament, like Ibercup Spain?

"It's an incredible experience I would recommend to anyone. From refereeing some of the best local amateur teams in Spain to potentially refereeing the next Lionel Messi when you officiate Barcelona is incredible. The atmosphere is like nothing you have seen before - spectators joyful, living the dream of their child. Travelling to the tournament, the build-up, the rush of adrenaline when you step on the pitch. It is incredible. Not to mention the people, they are just incredible. I couldn't have asked to work with a better group of referees, with officials from all over the world. It's a dream come true, travelling across the world to officiate a football match is just a dream I couldn't have envisaged within my first few seasons of refereeing. I truly would recommend it to anyone."

With teams like Everton, Barcelona, and Porto participating, there's bound to be a diverse range of playing styles. How do you adapt your refereeing approach to accommodate different styles of play?

"Well, my advice would be to just be yourself. It is clear the overall aim from teams like Everton and Barcelona is to play football. Pass it fast and quick - if there is a foul, teams take a quick free kick and are back playing again. However some of the more local teams seemed to have more fire and aggressiveness, possibly to fight the technical ability of the academy players, but they put up a fight. Refereeing the styles was difficult to say the least, I remember a specific game where I acted as an Assistant Referee, with another English Assistant and a Spanish Referee. He refereed it well, allowed lots of physicality and it brought the game level (however it was clear to see Everton were the more dominant side with their technical ability). It's huge praise to the teams for playing the way they do, giving us officials the best quality of football to referee."

Youth tournaments often showcase the future stars of football. Did you notice any exceptional talent or promising players during your time officiating in the tournament?

"Yes, absolutely. I was lucky enough to be appointed a Cup Final for the tournament, where I acted as the Referee for Barcelona vs Porto. Both teams had really good players - especially Barcelona, however both sides had players that stood out. The number 10. All you really think is 'Wow, what a player' but there is a sudden realization you could have just officiated the next Messi. The technical ability of even some of the younger players was just incredible, players with talent and promise, some whom will definitely make it in the professional game."

Communication is key in refereeing, especially in an international setting. How do you overcome language barriers and effectively communicate with players and coaching staff from various countries?

"The key for me was lots of signals and use of the whistle was key. Using the whistle too much can lose the effect, but used wisely and effectively meant players looked and took notice of your signal and I used this to my advantage to control games as a Referee. Another amazingly useful tool is little gestures and facial expressions. Be strong and clear with your signals and most of the time they got it."

Beyond refereeing on fixtures, what other aspects of the tournament benefit you as a Referee?

"Firstly, it's a great experience for those wanting to work on their social skills. You are forced to collaborate with a new group, lots of faces you have never met before and it will definitely help you develop your confidence and social skills. However, having a technical session with a World Cup Assistant Referee, Renato Faverani was inspirational. Being taught by one of the best in the business with pointers on how to improve your refereeing skills was beyond incredible."

In your opinion, what tournament was better Ibercup Cascais (2023 visit) or Ibercup Spain (2024 visit)?

"To be honest, both tournaments were complete opposites. Spain was more relaxed and had a calmer vibe to it, however Cascais was fast paced and impactful on development. Personally, I preferred Cascais due to the sheer amount of games I officiated at such a fast pace. And being observed by Roger East (ex Premier League Match Official) on PSV Eindhoven vs Deportivo U14s will always be something I remember."

What's next for you then, another tournament next season?

"If it is possible, I would absolutely love to. Personally America is on the list, I would love to be able to officiate over there. And I think the other one would be a return to Cascais to experience it over again - It was truly incredible the first time and I would love to do it again."

What would be your message to other Referees wanting to participate on these tournaments?

"My advice would be to do it. For some people this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I would strongly recommend taking part before it's too late to do one. I did make the odd mistake with Cascais and Spain, one of those being to not use sun cream on the back of my knees (and I can tell you refereeing and crabbing on the line was very painful with the back of my knees burnt)! But, in all seriousness I would absolutely recommend it to anyone. Go out and enjoy it, you have the chance to referee some of the best youth academies and teams in the world, meet amazing people and develop your refereeing skills. It is definitely worth it."