Israeli Football Referee Sapir Berman Fails Fitness Test, Misses Season Start

Israeli football referee Sapir Berman failed the fitness test conducted on Tuesday at the Wingate Institute and will not be able to officiate at the start of the upcoming Israeli Premier League season. She must pass additional fitness tests at a later date before being assigned to matches again, meaning she will miss at least the first two rounds of the league. The referees' association has already finalized the assignments for the first round without including Berman. The date for her next fitness test has not yet been set.

Berman is one of Israel's top referees, frequently officiating high-profile matches such as season deciders, Tel Aviv derbies, and other key fixtures. She made history as Israel's first transgender referee and in March 2025 became the first transgender referee to officiate an international match, overseeing the UEFA Women's Under-17 European Championship qualifier between Northern Ireland and Montenegro.