Referee Sapir Berman Passes Fitness Tests, Set to Return to Top League

Football referee Sapir Berman is on track to return to the Israeli Premier League after successfully passing re-administered fitness tests. Berman had been absent from officiating in the top league since the start of the season after failing the initial fitness assessments conducted by the Referees Association. Her failure to meet the physical requirements for the 2026/27 season had prevented her from being assigned to Premier League matches, despite being a prominent referee last season.

Berman initially failed the tests in August at the Wingate Institute. At the time, it was clarified that her absence from the top league was not career-ending and that passing a subsequent test would reopen the door to the active referee roster. The recent success in the re-tests removes the main obstacle to her return.

Just last Friday, reports indicated that Berman's professional situation had become complex, with another failed test potentially sidelining her from professional leagues for months, possibly until the end of the season. The Referees Association had assigned her two personal fitness coaches to aid her preparation, and sources close to her noted progress in her physical readiness.

Her return to officiating will be gradual, and no exact date has been set for her first Premier League match. While passing the test allows for re-assignment, it does not guarantee immediate participation in the upcoming game week. Berman, who began her refereeing career in 2011, became the first transgender woman to officiate in Israel's Premier League in 2021. She has since officiated international matches and cup finals. Her last senior match as head referee was in July, and she has continued to officiate in other leagues while working towards meeting the fitness requirements.