Women's professional refereeing now has its own collective agreement

Spain's women's football referees have signed their first professional collective agreement, covering Liga F officials through the 2026-27 season with improved pay, maternity protection, and career-end funds.

Spain's football federation (RFEF) has signed the first professional collective agreement for women's referees, a historic step for Liga F officials. The agreement, negotiated between the RFEF, the Spanish Football Referees Association (AESAF), and the Technical Committee (CTA), will remain in force through the 2026-27 season.

The deal includes salary updates indexed to inflation, a "career-end fund" that can be withdrawn in the final month of the season, and enhanced maternity protections to ensure female referees are not disadvantaged by motherhood. The agreement also introduces 1,000-euro annual training grants to help referees invest in professional development for life after their refereeing careers end.

RFEF president Rafael Louzán called it "a historic step," emphasizing the federation's commitment to supporting both men's and women's football. Officials stressed the agreement creates a stable framework for professionalizing women's refereeing and supports the growth of women's football. The CTA indicated future negotiations will explore how referees can benefit from television revenue, mirroring arrangements in men's football.