The head of women’s refereeing in England, Bibi Steinhaus-Webb, is leaving the role to take up a position with Fifa.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has announced that Steinhaus-Webb, who has transformed the development of refereeing of the women’s game and the women’s professional officiating pathway, is stepping down from her role as select group women’s professional game director to join the global governing body as head of women’s refereeing.
In a statement, PGMOL said it “would like to thank Bibi for her immense contribution” and that they wish her all the very best at Fifa.
Steinhaus-Webb was the first female referee to officiate in the German men’s professional game and was named the world’s best woman referee by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics on four occasions. The 45-year-old joined the PGMOL in 2021 when the organisation took charge of officiating in the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship. Under her leadership, the select group for the women’s professional game has doubled in size and upped its professionalisation, with several WSL referees now able to focus on officiating full-time. The organisation has also expanded the team of coaches, sports science personnel, analysts, psychologists and football insights mentors available to officials in the women’s game.
In January Steinhaus-Webb told the Guardian of her passion for refereeing, saying: “I just love refereeing. It was been the best decision in my life to pick up this course. I do appreciate that it might be difficult for other people to understand but this is exactly why I want you to come to see it through my eyes. To see my passion for it, why I fell in love with it, this is what I want to share.”
PGMOL said: “Whilst Bibi’s departure marks the end of a significant chapter for PGMOL, it also signals the start of an exciting new era with the recent appointment of trailblazing referee Rebecca Welch as the new select group women’s professional game manager.”
Welch recently retired from refereeing, having taken charge of games at the top level both domestically and internationally and will be joined by the former referee Lou Saunders, who is joining as a coach.
