The IJF Referee Seminar and Examination was held on the Gold Coast ahead of the Gold Coast Oceania Open 2025 (1–2 November 2025). A total of 25 participants from Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, Iran, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Canada, and Australia attended the seminar.

The seminar was delivered by Raúl Camacho (IJF Refereeing Director – OJT), together with Mr Pasquale Chyurlia (IJF Referee Commission Secretariat), Lubomir Petr (OJU Refereeing Director), and Deepali Mistry (OJU Refereeing Commissioner and Judo Australia Refereeing Director).

Over two days, the program covered key aspects of current IJF refereeing rules and interpretations, including video-based case studies, complex contest situations, and practical implementation discussions during on-mat sessions.

The second part of the event was the IJF Referee Examination. Of the 17 eligible referees, 15 were able to undertake the examination, which comprised three core components:

  • Written examination: Assessed candidates’ knowledge of judo refereeing rules, situational judgement, and English proficiency.
  • Interview: Tested candidates’ ability to understand questions in English and communicate effectively.
  • Practical refereeing assessment: Following completion of the written and interview components, candidates refereed matches during the Oceania Open competition, providing a strong platform for assessment in a high-quality international environment.

Referees were scored and provided feedback throughout the competition, with the best-performing officials selected each day to referee finals. Candidates who met the required minimum standards across all components were awarded their licences:

  • Continental Licence: 5 candidates
  • International Licence: 7 candidates

In addition, two special honorary awards were presented to long-serving Australian referees in recognition of their contribution to the sport.

Judo Australia, in partnership with the Oceania Judo Union, delivered a world-class event, supporting referee development and strengthening the standard and consistency of officiating across the region.