PSSI Referee Committee Chairman Yoshimi Ogawa assessed that the performance of the referees in the 2026/2027 BRI Super League had generally been good up to the sixth week, although there were still aspects that needed improvement.
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Although satisfied with the referee's overall performance, Ogawa emphasized that evaluation was still necessary to improve the quality of match leadership.
One aspect that is of concern is the use of VAR, especially when the referee has to review an incident via a pitchside monitor.
"However, this is just a general overview. But if we look at it in detail, there are several aspects—I don't want to say too much, but there are several aspects we need to improve. We need to improve them, especially VAR. When VAR intervenes, the referee must review the replay on the pitch. This is a really important point," Ogawa said.
In addition to evaluating the referee's performance, Ogawa explained the procedures for handling security disturbances due to crowd disturbances during the match.
According to him, the referee must consider the level of danger and safety of all parties before making a decision to stop the match.
He emphasized that the referee is obliged to stop the match if there is a serious security threat, such as bottles or other objects being thrown onto the field.
"Then, whether will continue or not? This must be discussed with the match commissioner or security officers. This is a very important point," he said.
Ogawa added that the referee's ability to recognize dangerous situations is an important factor in determining what action to take.
"If the referee can't recognize the situation, there's no chance to stop the match. However, if there's a truly dangerous situation, the referee will go through their fourth official and receive some information from the referee before stopping the match. Because safety is paramount," he said.
As of week six, Persija Jakarta leads the 2026/2027 BRI Super League standings with 15 points from six matches, followed by Dewa United Banten FC with 14 points and Madura United FC with 13 points.
Meanwhile, PSIM Yogyakarta and Persijap Jepara are the only two teams yet to win. PSIM sits in 17th place with one point, while Persijap sits at the bottom of the standings with no points.
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