FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

United States Youth Futsal National Tournament to be Officiated by US Soccer Futsal Certified Referees and State-Badge Officials

OVERLAND PARK, KS. (Feb. 10, 2017) – The USYF Referee Academy is a new project sponsored by USYF to produce the highest quality officials by establishing the proper foundation.

“This year I selected eight young, promising and enthusiastic referees to pair with FIFA Futsal Referees, who will officiate matches with them, provide advanced instruction, guidance and mentoring,” said Ed Marco, FIFA Futsal Instructor. “The goal in the partnership is to provide incentive and inspire our young referees to work hard, believe and motivate themselves and others to advance when they go back to their hometowns and work local matches.”

Marco has been a referee for 25 years and was appointed by FIFA in 2008 to the International Panel of Futsal Referee Instructors, making him just one of 19 in the world. In addition to several FIFA appointments, he was most recently appointed as the Referee Assessor for the FIFA Futsal World Cup that took place in Colombia in 2016. Marco currently serves as the U.S. Youth Futsal Referee Coordinator and Trainer, working with CONCACAF to develop new training and education techniques for referees in the region.

In addition to Marco, also present will be FIFA Futsal Referees Shane Butler, Lance VanHaitsma and Sergio Cabrera.   

Butler has been a professional referee for 22 years, officiating finals in the MASL, NCAA and other professional soccer leagues. He has been a member of the FIFA Futsal Panel since 2005. Butler has been appointed to three CONCACAF Futsal Finals, CONCACAF Club Finals, Women’s World Futsal Finals, UNCAF and Caribbean Football Union Finals and the Four Nations Tournament Finals in England.

VanHaitsma has been a FIFA Futsal Referee since 2016. He officiated the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia, the 2016 CONCACAF Futsal Championships in Costa Rica and the 2016 UNCAF Central American Championships in Guatemala.

Cabrera has been a FIFA Futsal Referee since 2008. He has participated in two FIFA Futsal World Cups: Thailand in 2012 and Colombia in 2016. He also officiated the World Futsal Women’s Tournament in Costa Rica in 2014, the CONCACAF Pre-World Cup tournaments in Guatemala in 2012 and in Costa Rica in 2016. Cabrera has directed matches between 33 national teams and officiated 15 FIFA Futsal World Cup matches.

For more information, visit our website at www.usyouthfutsalnationals.com. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube @usyouthfutsal.

About United States Youth Futsal

United States Youth Futsal is the largest U.S. Soccer affiliated futsal organization in the country. Launched in 2004, U.S. Youth Futsal oversees more than 100 local leagues and hosts eight Regional Championships and one National Championship as well as the Futsal I.D. program, the U.S. Youth Futsal National Teams and the Leadership Summit.