Welcome to Ref4aDay: a new European project co-funded by the European Union

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Referees are often invisible — until they become the target of blame, insults or even aggression. Yet their role is essential: they are not just rule enforcers, but educators, mediators and promoters of the values that make sport a true learning experience.

This is where Referee for a Day (Ref4aDay) comes in.

Co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Sport programme, Ref4aDay is a 24-month project that brings together organisations from Italy, Portugal and Lithuania to promote respect, empathy and dialogue in grassroots sport, by helping young people and local communities see the figure of the referee in a new light.

The core idea is simple but powerful: if you walk a day in someone else’s shoes, your perspective changes. That’s why the project offers young people the chance to become a referee for a day — not to train them as future referees, but to help them experience firsthand the complexity, responsibility and human side of this often misunderstood role.

Through workshops, storytelling, simulations and communication campaigns, Ref4aDay wants to restore the cultural and educational mission of sport — starting from its most overlooked figure.

Stay tuned to discover how we will do it!

www.oltrenetworklab.com/raf4aday