Football Victoria would like to congratulate referee Adam Bavcar ahead of his A-League debut tonight.
The Victorian will officiate Western United v Melbourne Victory, a game that will be played behind closed doors at AAMI Park.
Although this will mark his top-tier debut, Bavcar possesses a wealth of experience and feels more than ready for the challenge.
He has substantial experience refereeing Victoria’s NPL and has regularly acted as an A-League Fourth Official in recent seasons.
“The past 13 years has been a long journey. I have had the pleasure of working with many great referees and assessors who have all had a positive impact on me at some point during that time. Without their support I would not be in the position I am currently in today and for that I am extremely grateful,” Bavcar said.
Bavcar played his junior football at Brunswick Zebras, but saw the game as more of a social outlet.
He fondly recalls taking up refereeing as a part-time job.
Initially like most teenagers, some extra pocket money the main motivator, but he quickly realised refereeing was a fantastic career to stay physically active and remain a part of the game.
Factors he believes should encourage other teenagers to give refereeing a try.
“I started refereeing as a 15-year-old, it was essentially a part-time job as I wanted to stay involved in the game. It’s a great job at that age as you’re staying physically active but over time, I decided that I wanted to take it seriously.”
“I spent years honing my skills and eventually progressed to the NPL in 2015. It’s fantastic that you get to build relationships with Clubs, players and coaches and I earned the opportunity last year to work as a Fourth Official at A-League level.”
Outside of football, Bavcar works as a secondary school P.E. teacher and admits the skills strongly translate.
Although the school ground is a long way officiating the stars of the A-League, he draws many parallels from the communication and people skills he has developed.
“There are many types of personalities I deal with as a teacher and a referee. You have to learn how to communicate effectively with different people in different ways. Relationship building and communication skills are vital,” he said.
If you're interested in entering the world of refereeing in 2021, visit the link below.