Following www.islandstats.com report on Sunday that history was made the Bermuda Football Association announced, while North Village captured the coveted FA Cup for the 12th time. Another milestone was quietly achieved.
Rhys Pedro became the youngest ever match official for the Men's FA Cup final at the tender age of 14.
Pedro has only been officiating for 2 years and started officiating the men's leagues during the 2025/26 season.
Pedro is a graduate of the program at Warwick Academy, organized by BFA in conjunction with the school. The program offered training through international instructors. Since receiving the initial qualification through that course, he has attended several additional courses offered through the BFA Referee Committee, with international FIFA assessors and mentors coming to the island.
Pedro has already set his sights on being a center referee in a First Division game within the next year and qualifying as a FIFA-listed official.
Pedro had this to say about the FA Cup Final: “When I was first informed of being selected as one of the officials for the FA Cup final, I was initially nervous; however, it soon gave way to excitement and a feeling of pride. Standing in front of the crowd before the game, I was overwhelmed with a mixture of pride, fear, and excitement, especially as it was my first time officiating in the Flora Duffy Stadium. As the game began, all of those feelings of doubt and nervousness slipped away, and I focused solely on the game.
If I had to give any advice to other young people that were thinking of trying out officiating, it would be to ignore all the people who doubt you and instead focus on improving day by day, bit by bit, and you will succeed. There is a lot to learn and remember, but Bermuda has some amazing instructors and fellow referees who are always willing to help provide guidance. You also pick up a lot of useful life skills, such as teamwork, communication, and being able to confidently make big decisions.”
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