Armenia is taking a new step in the development of football refereeing. For the first time in history, the country will be represented on the international stage by four FIFA referees and eight assistant referees. This significant expansion of internationally accredited referees confirms the growing level of Armenian football officiating.
Additionally, for the first time, referees from the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) have been granted the right to officiate international matches as VAR (Video Assistant Referees), marking a major achievement in integrating modern technology into Armenian football.
Full List of Armenian FIFA Referees
Main Referees:
- Zaven Hovhannisyan
- Henrik Nalbandyan
- Ashot Galtakhchyan
- Artem Gasparyan
Assistant Referees:
- Mesrop Kazaryan
- Artur Gdlyan
- Atom Sevgulyan
- Sargis Hovhannisyan
- Khachatur Hovhannisyan
- Gevorg Shakhkaldyan
- Vanik Simonyan
- Harutyun Ambartsumyan
VAR Referees:
- Zaven Hovhannisyan
- Artem Gasparyan
Women Referees:
- Araksia Saribekyan
- Sofik Torosyan
Women Assistant Referees:
- Liana Grigoryan
- Kristine Grigoryan
- Liana Yaghmuryan
Futsal Referee:
- Gevorg Egoyan
International Inspectors:
- Karen Nalbandyan
- Gevorg Hovhannisyan
- Knarik Grigoryan
- Nelli Stepanyan
Season Preparation and VAR Work
To prepare for the new season, the FFA refereeing staff held a training camp in Cyprus from January 30 to February 8. During the camp, match video analysis and in-depth study of the VAR system were conducted, enabling referees to use video replays more effectively in their officiating practice.
Before the start of the spring stage of the Armenian First League and youth championships, a four-day seminar will be held at the FFA Technical Center/Football Academy. This seminar will include referees who did not attend the Cyprus camp, as well as 12 graduates of the 2024 refereeing school.
The FFA Refereeing Committee remains open to suggestions and is ready for dialogue with interested parties, making another step forward in the development of football refereeing in Armenia.