Israeli Referee Sapir Berman Faces Career Crossroads After Failing Fitness Tests
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Trailblazing transgender referee Sapir Berman is facing a career crisis after failing mandatory fitness tests, restricting her to lower-tier matches. She missed initial exams and failed a subsequent one, leading to criticism about her preparation. Berman has been assigned personal coaches and is showing improvement, but must pass an upcoming internal assessment before a potential return to top-tier officiating in late November.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Referee Sapir Berman failed mandatory fitness tests, impacting her ability to officiate top-tier Israeli football leagues.
- Berman, a historic transgender referee, was previously barred from Ligat Ha'al and Liga Leumit matches.
- She missed initial fitness tests and failed a subsequent make-up exam, leading to her current officiating restrictions.
- Criticism has surfaced within the referee association regarding Berman's season preparation and focus on public engagements.
- Berman has been assigned personal coaches and is reportedly improving, with a final chance to pass tests upcoming.
- Her return to senior officiating is not anticipated before late November, pending further assessments.
Sapir Berman, a trailblazing transgender referee in professional football, is at a critical juncture in her career. After making history as the first openly transgender referee in Israeli football in May 2021 and officiating in UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifiers in March 2025, Berman has struggled with mandatory fitness tests. She opted out of initial tests, anticipating she wouldn't meet the physical demands, and subsequently failed a make-up exam. This has led to her being restricted to officiating women's leagues, youth games, and lower-tier men's leagues, barring her from the top-tier Ligat Ha'al and Liga Leumit.
Berman has recently been seen officiating in third-tier youth leagues and as a VAR assistant in Ligat Ha'al, seeking practical experience. While she recently officiated a UEFA U-17 qualifying match in Frankfurt, the physical demands of Israel's senior men's leagues remain a significant hurdle.
Despite her importance, criticism has emerged within the referee association regarding her preparation for the season, with some suggesting she prioritized public speaking and engagements over physical training. The association has stated she will have one final opportunity to pass the official tests. Failure to do so could result in a prolonged suspension from high-level officiating.
To aid her return, Berman has been assigned two personal fitness coaches and is reportedly showing significant improvement. However, she must first pass an internal assessment, and her return to the senior refereeing roster is not expected before late November.