FIFA member countries are invited annually to nominate male and female officials for association football, futsal and beach soccer. Each country's Referee's Committee selects the referees to be nominated to FIFA. FIFA maintains five lists in total: men's and women's association football referees, men's and women's futsal referees, and a single list of beach soccer referees. Officials in the association football lists are nominated as either referees or assistant referees. Futsal and beach soccer at international level are usually controlled by two on-field referees and there is no equivalent of the assistant referee.
Fitness
Referees nominated to the list must pass fitness tests consisting ofa series of 40 meter sprints and an interval test consisting of 75 meter sprints and 2x 12,5 meter recovery walks. Assistant referees nominated to the list must pass fitness tests consisting of a CODA-drill, series of 30 meter sprints and an interval test consisting of 75 meter sprints and 2x 12,5 meter recovery walks.
FIFA badge
On being selected to the list, referees receive a badge from FIFA. The badge indicates the category of official in which they have been listed – referee, assistant referee, Futsal referee or Beach soccer referee. While officiating matches in the category they have been nominated, the referee is expected to wear the badge. Where a referee is controlling a match outside of their category the badge is not worn. Members of the women's list are only allowed to work men's international matches if they have completed the men's fitness tests. Being listed for the first time is often referred to as receiving a FIFA badge.
Age
A referee must be at least 25 years old on 1 January to be eligible for International Referee listing nomination on that calendar year. An assistant referee is eligible at the age of 23 years. Prior to 2016, a referee had to be no older than 45 years old to be eligible for being listed. Not previously listed referees had to be no older than 38. In 2014, FIFA announced that they would remove the maximum age requirement. This was confirmed in 2015. FIFA reserves the right to require referees over the age of 45 to undergo additional technical assessments as well as specific medical examinations and fitness testing on a case by case basis. Sarkis Demirdjian was the longest serving FIFA-listed referee by 20 years and 10 months, from September 1962 until July 1983.
Referees by Association
As of 2016, a total of 3,378 referees from 201 associations worldwide have FIFA international status.
