A-League appoints female referee for next soccer season

SYDNEY (AP) — A third male football code in Australia will have a female referee next season.

Kate Jacewicz, an eight-time referee of the year in the women’s soccer W-League, has been added to the A-League’s refereeing panel for the 2019-20 season. Jacewicz’s most recent assignment was refereeing two matches at this year’s Women’s World Cup in France.

Her appointment follows the first female field umpire in the Australian Football League, Eleni Glouftsis, and National Rugby League referee Belinda Sharpe, who became the first woman referee in a professional rugby league match earlier this year.

“Kate is without doubt one of the leading referees in the world at any level,” Football Federation Australia chairman Chris Nikou said.

Jacewicz’s appointment comes after Stephanie Frappart refereed the European Super Cup match between Liverpool and Chelsea in Istanbul two weeks ago. She was the first woman to officiate a major European men’s final.

Bundesliga referee Bibiana Steinhaus has officiated in the top flight in Germany for several seasons and was the first woman in Europe to take regular charge of top-tier men’s matches.