Drahşan Arda facts for kids

Drahşan Arda, born in 1945, is a pioneering figure in football history. She is a former football referee from Turkey. The international football organization, FIFA, officially confirmed her as the world's first female football referee!

Early Life and Becoming a Referee

Drahşan Arda grew up in Edirne, Turkey. When she was in high school, she enjoyed playing basketball and volleyball. Later, she became very interested in football. She also worked as a schoolteacher.

Drahşan decided she wanted to be a football referee. She got her referee certificate after special training. This training happened in Zonguldak Province, Turkey, from November 5 to November 26, 1967.

Her Career as a Referee

Drahşan Arda started her referee journey as an assistant referee. Her first match was a regional league game. It was between two teams called Karabük Demirçelik and Jandarmagücü.

Soon, she became a main referee. She often officiated friendly matches. Her very first match as a referee was on June 26, 1968. This was a special show match in Istanbul. It was played at the Mithatpaşa Stadium. The teams were made up of jockeys playing against actors! This game happened before a big celebration match for a famous player, Ahmet Berman.

In 1972, Drahşan moved to Munich, Germany. She continued her work as a schoolteacher there. She helped many children get involved in sports. She also kept refereeing football games in Bavaria. She often worked in "classification matches," which are games that only need one referee. She even built a good relationship with the famous football club, FC Bayern Munich.

Awards and Retirement

Drahşan Arda was honored for her long career. The Bayerischer Fussball-Verband (BFV) gave her a golden badge and a special plaque. This was to celebrate her 30 years of refereeing.

After she sent in her documents, FIFA confirmed something amazing. On December 13, 2018, FIFA sent a letter saying that Drahşan Arda was indeed the world's first female football referee!

In 1997, after 30 years, she stopped actively refereeing. She decided to auction off all her refereeing items. The money raised went to help children in need. After retiring, she also served for seven years on the Disciplinary Board of the BFV.