1st EUROLEAGUE REFEREE STAGE IN TRIESTE

The 1st Euroleague Referee Stage begins today in Trieste with the participation of 55 referees, from which 51 will conform the Referee Department of the new league. The main issues approached in the Stage will be the definition of the work professional criteria, the 3-man referee mechanics and the application of the new rules.

The Italian town of Trieste will be holding one of the principal European tournaments of the pre-season, from November 28 to October 1. The invited teams are: Olympiakos, Olimpia Lujbiana, Benetton, Real Madrid, Telit Trieste and Efes Pilsen.

This tournament also serves as the perfect environment to celebrate the 1st Referee Stage of the Euroleague, and there will be presented the final 51 referees that will officiate in the league. This is the first time this list goes public.

From an organisation point of view, the Stage will help to define the work pattern to be followed by the Euroleague referees, which will be based on a very professional criteria. Regarding the technical aspects of the meeting, the most relevant issues will be the 3-man mechanics, first time applied in European competitions, and the application of the new rules.

Following is the list of the 55 referees that participate in the Stage. Only 51 of these referees will end up being part of the Referee Department of the Euroleague, which is directed by Costa Rigas and Alan Richardson.