Israeli Football Referee Sapir Berman Fails Fitness Test, Excluded From Premier League Assignments

Israeli football referee Sapir Berman will not receive match assignments in the upcoming 2026/27 Premier League season after failing the mandatory fitness tests conducted ahead of the season. The fitness evaluation took place at the Wingate Institute, and Berman was excluded from the first round of match appointments as a result. The referees' association confirmed she did not pass the test and will have to retake it at a later date before being reinstated to the pool of available referees for top-tier league matches.

Berman began her refereeing career in 2011 and gradually advanced to officiate in the Israeli Premier League. In 2021, she publicly revealed her gender transition and continued refereeing under the name Sapir Berman. That same year, she became the first transgender referee to manage a Premier League match in Israel. She further progressed internationally, joining UEFA's list of international referees in 2024 and officiating an official international match in 2025.

The timing of Berman's next fitness test and the number of matches she will miss remain unclear. She will only be eligible to return to officiating Premier League games after successfully passing the required fitness assessments. This development temporarily sidelines a pioneering figure in Israeli football refereeing as the new season approaches.