Referee of the Month: Joel Eriki

The CDSRA Referee of the Month features referees of different ages, levels, and backgrounds to reflect the diversity in our referee community and our association. Our February 2026 Referee of the Month is Joel Eriki.

Questions & Answers:

Q: Current Referee Level & Highest level attained:
A: I currently officiate within Alberta Soccer at the district level, holding a Calgary rating of 50. I would love to get to Regional. 

Q: When did you begin, and what motivated you to start refereeing?
A: I began refereeing in Calgary at the start of the 2024 outdoor season. Having played and followed soccer all my life—and with strong encouragement from Austin Abiba—I was motivated to become a referee to gain a deeper understanding of the game, particularly the reasoning behind certain referee decisions and calls made in professional matches I watched.

When I initially signed up, I expected to simply gain a better understanding of the Laws of the Game. Little did I know it would grow into a genuine passion. Looking ahead, I aspire to continue developing as a referee and, in the years to come, become an assessor to support and mentor other officials.

Q: What has been your most enjoyable game/memory of your referee career?
A:‍ ‍There have been many enjoyable matches and memorable moments throughout my journey. One that comes to mind was my first CUSA 045 outdoor match, because it marked several “firsts” for me. The match took place shortly after my rating review.

The first surprise came when I arrived at the pitch and realized the match would be officiated by a single center referee, with no assistant referees assigned. That meant covering the entire field on my own while carefully managing my energy for the next game. 😊 Up to that point, I had primarily officiated U-13 matches and lower, so it was my first adult game with so much in-game conflict. The game itself was demanding and highly competitive (I thought I was officiating a world cup finals), resulting in five YC and 1 RC. It was my first time issuing a red card and subsequently my first time completing a misconduct report. The experience was both challenging and rewarding, and I am especially grateful for the guidance and support received from Austin Abiba and the rest of the referee community  throughout this phase of my officiating journey in Calgary.

Q: What do you love most about refereeing? 
A: The sense of community is one of the best things for me, it provides the opportunity to connect with individuals at different stages of their officiating careers who are genuinely willing to share their knowledge and experience, all it takes is the initiative to ask and willingness to learn. I also appreciate the dynamic nature of the game, the continuous evolution of play, the updates to the laws and the constant development that keeps it engaging.

Joel with other referees at a fitness test.

Q: What advice would you give to somebody just starting out refereeing? 
A: My advice is to consistently study the LOTG, I get new insight each time I read it, get a referee mentor who can accelerate your development and provide constructive feedback based on experience. Watch as much soccer games as possible with a new perspective as a referee (not a spectator). Focus on the referee’s movements, game management and position themselves during restarts etc. Analyze and anticipate referee decisions during VAR reviews and consider what you will do in similar situations.

Q: What do you do outside of refereeing and what are some of your interests?
A: I love to hike in the mountains, when I am not refereeing during the weekends, I drive to the mountains (Kananaskis) with friends to conquer a mountain. 😊