International referees’ spotlight – Katarina Cepinova 

How did you get into refereeing? When did you become an international referee?  

I played volleyball from a very young age at school in Slovakia, where I was born. I always enjoyed the game and continued to play in NVL and Regional leagues in the UK when I moved from Slovakia to England in 1995. 

Since then, I have played for a number of London-based teams, usually playing Opposite as a left handed player. When I stopped playing in the league I wanted to continue staying in the competitive volleyball so enrolled in a Grade 4 Volleyball Referee course in 2008. 

Over the following eight years, I gained valuable experience refereeing local, regional and NVL games/ matches across men’s and women’s divisions. I have been very lucky to have whistled a number of Cup final matches across a number of seasons. 

In 2012, I was selected as a Technical official (dual Line Judge and Scorer function) for London 2012 Olympic Games for Volleyball after a tough three-year selection process. This ignited my passion for refereeing even more, seeing the sport at a very high level and being lucky to be part of it live on court during the Olympic Games. 

In 2016, I was awarded a grant in support of female officials in sport by the UK government which enabled me to cover some of the costs associated with travelling to and attending an FIVB International Referee course in 2016 in Argentina. 

I was one of only two European referees to participate in the course, attended by many other referees from various continents. In 2016, I became an International Referee Candidate, achieving full International Referee status in 2018. Since then, I have refereed in a number of CEV European matches and international tournaments. 

What is your favourite thing about refereeing?  

I love volleyball as a sport, and being part of it at a competitive level is a great reward for me. I am honoured to be able to facilitate this exciting game for athletes that compete in the sport, and spectators who watch this engaging sport.  

What advice would you give to someone starting out as a referee?  

Let the ball fly. This is a spectacular sport for all to watch and enjoy and we are here to facilitate not to police it. Use your whistle as a tool not a weapon. Aim to prepare well for every game ahead. Think of all the preparation and training teams, players and coaches put into matches, which should be reflected in the preparation and training of an official referee. 

What has been your biggest achievement as a referee/official?  

I have been very fortunate to referee some great tournaments from Qualification to Final rounds of U18, U17, U19, U20 Men and Women tournaments to individual great games in the CEV Challenge Cup, NEVZA Cups and Island games. 

Find out more about refereeing courses by clicking here.