Sapir Berman fails fitness test and will miss the start of the season
The senior referee has not been assigned to the opening rounds of the Premier League and must wait for the next fitness testing session at the Wingate Institute to resume her duties.
Football referee Sapir Berman failed the fitness test held on Tuesday at the Wingate Institute and will be unable to start the season in the Premier League. She is required to take additional tests at a later date, and only upon successful completion will she be eligible for match assignments. The Referees Association has already finalized appointments for the first round, and Berman was not included.
While the date for the next test has yet to be determined, it is confirmed that she will miss at least the first two rounds of the top league. Berman is one of the most prominent referees in Israeli football, frequently officiating high-profile matches such as the Tel Aviv derby and other top-tier encounters. She made history as Israel's first transgender referee, and in March 2025, she became the first transgender referee to officiate an international match, overseeing the UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualifier between Northern Ireland and Montenegro.
