Female football referees decline in Northern Cyprus

female football referees KTFF referee shortage football officiating sports gender diversity

The number of female referees within the Northern Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (KTFF) Central Referee Board has seen a significant decline. For the 2026-2027 football season, only 13 women are set to serve among a total of 95 referees.

This follows a trend where 15 female referees resigned from their duties over the last two seasons, with 6 leaving in the 2024-2025 season and 9 in the 2025-2026 season. The total number of female officials dropped from 19 in the previous season to 13 this year.

The remaining female officials are distributed across various classifications: one Super League Assistant Referee, four B Class referees, and eight C Class referees. Rüya Sakallı is noted as the sole Super League Assistant Referee for the upcoming season.

Entities

Northern Cyprus Turkish Football Federation · Rüya Sakallı

Sources

Futbolda kadın hakemler azalıyor [sondakikakibris.com]

16 days ago

Futbolda kadın hakemler azalıyor - Kıbrıs Gazetesi - Kıbrıs Haber, KKTC Son Dakika ve Gündem Haberleri [kibrisgazetesi.com]

16 days ago