Referee education and bonus point test run in conjunction with inaugural BeNe Cup

A few years in the making, the first edition of the BeNe Cup featuring the reigning men’s and women’s national champions of the Netherlands and Belgium was contested this past December 29 in the Dutch city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, with as many as 2,350 fans coming together during the holiday season to follow the action from the stands. In conjunction with this same competition, the organisers and more specifically the National Refereeing Commission of the Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo) invited ERC (European Refereeing Commission) President Arturo Di Giacomo to deliver a seminar with a focus on teamwork and refereeing in modern officiating. 

The delivery of such workshop is in line with the ERC’s vision and mission to facilitate and pursue the continued education of both national and international referees in order to raise the level and standards of volleyball refereeing across Europe. Mr Di Giacomo used a variety of audiovisual material to discuss case studies and best practices with the attendees – all international candidate referees – in a friendly, informative, and interactive way. In his endeavours, Mr Di Giacomo was supported by ERC Member Cor van Gompel and Mr Frans Loderus, member of the FIVB Rules of the Game and Refereeing Commission.  

Moreover, in an effort to modernise the game and improve fan engagement, the BeNe Cup did also provide an opportunity to test the so-called ‘bonus point’. Through this innovative format, teams had the chance to choose a ‘bonus point’ per set – which would count as two points scored if the team requesting the application of the bonus was the one claiming the concerned rally. This test was received with much enthusiasm by the fans, thereby adding to the excitement of the competition.