FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENEW YORK— The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) has announced a team of officiating veterans who will manage a crew of 90 to 100 officials at the FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championship to be held July 12-21, 2018, in Netanya, Israel.
The administrative staff for officiating at the 2018 worlds will be headed by England’s Phillip Pearson, who will serve as Referee in Chief (RIC).
“This will be the pinnacle of my lacrosse career to date,” Pearson said. “I am looking forward to meeting many lacrosse family and friends in Netanya, Israel.”
Joining Pearson as deputy RICs are Australia’s Dennis Mulroney, England’s David Doolan and Ireland’s Dick Pepper.
FIL Men’s Officiating Chair Tom Sutton provided an overview of the appointments.
Tom Sutton
“The men’s World Championship is always FIL’s flagship event. With 50 teams from all over the world playing 200 or so games over a 10-day tournament, delivering a well-officiated world championship on this scale is no easy task. The size of the event has brought many challenges, but we’ve put an experienced RIC team in place that has worked through them all flawlessly. I have the confidence this group is ready to handle managing and overseeing all aspects of officiating in Netanya next summer.”
—Tom Sutton, FIL Men’s Officiating Committee Chair
Scott Neiss, executive director of the Israel Lacrosse Association, agrees with Sutton’s assessment of the RIC team.
Scott Neiss
“We are delighted that the FIL has confirmed its appointment of Phil Pearson as Referee in Chief for the 2018 FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championships. Phil and his deputies have long served the international lacrosse community, and it is fitting that he will lead a diverse group of world-class officials in the largest international lacrosse event in history. Phil and his team have the experience, the commitment and the ambition to tackle the unique undertaking ahead.”
—Scott Neiss, executive director of the Israel Lacrosse Association
Phillip Pearson
Phillip Pearson, Referee in Chief, England
Phillip Pearson, who hails from Marple, Stockport, England, has been involved in men’s lacrosse for 47 years as a player, coach, referee and administrator. He has officiated at the highest domestic and International level, including three world championships as a referee.
In 2010, he was deputy RIC for the FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Manchester, England.
In 2012 he served as the RIC for the European Lacrosse Championships in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where he managed two deputy RICs, seven assessors, 38 referees and an officiating administrator.
Pearson’s international experience also includes officiating at and in the gold medal game at the 1999 International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) U19 Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Adelaide, Australia, and at the 2003 ILF U19 Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Towson, Maryland. The ILF was the men’s international lacrosse governing body until 2008 when it merged with the International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations (IFWLA) to form the FIL.
Pearson added, “My team and I are working hard behind the scenes to help all the referees and assessors deliver a memorable experience to all. I hope the championship provides a memorable life-long experience to all the participants.”
Dennis Mulroney, Deputy Referee in Chief, Australia
Dennis Mulroney, from Adelaide, Australia, has been associated with the game of lacrosse as a player, administrator and on-field official at the local, national and international levels for four decades.
He is a life member of the Australian Lacrosse Referees Association and is currently a member of the FIL Men’s Officiating Committee.
Mulroney’s international on-field officiating experience includes the 2002 ILF Men’s World Championship in Perth, Australia, where he was selected as head referee the gold medal game. He also served as an assessor to referees at three world championships and worked the 2016 FIL U19 Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Coquitlam, B.C., Canada.
Mulroney looks to inspire his officials during the event. “I look forward to providing the support and encouragement needed for the participating officials to have an enjoyable and rewarding experience that helps them give of their best.”
David Doolan, Deputy Referee in Chief, England
Doolan, who resides in Stockport, Cheshire, England, has participated in lacrosse as a team manager, administrator and on-field official at the local, national and international levels for 14 years.
Doolan’s international officiating administration experience includes the 2016 Men’s European Lacrosse Championship in Godollo, Hungary, where he served as deputy RIC. He also was an assessor at the 2014 FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Denver, Colorado, USA.
Doolan’s on-field experience began in 2008 at the FIL U19 Men’s World Lacrosse Championship in Coquitlam, B.C., Canada, where he also served as chief bench official for the gold medal game. He served as a Blue Division referee at the 2010 FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Manchester, England. Doolan also officiated at the 2012 FIL U19 Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Turku, Finland, where he served as head referee for the gold medal game.
Doolan is looking forward to working with the officials in Netanya. “I am honored to have been chosen. I hope that we can help all the officials reach their full potential, ensure they attain their personal goals and leave them with a positive experience from which they can grow their officiating careers, both on and off the field.”
Dick Pepper, Deputy Referee in Chief, Ireland
Dick Pepper, a resident of Camillus, New York, began officiating internationally in Perth, Australia, in 2002 at the World Championships. He has been the head referee in Ireland since 2004 and has been in charge of referee development in Ireland since then.
Pepper also served as a referee in four other World Championships in London, Ontario, Canada, in 2006, in Manchester, England, in 2010, in Turku, Finland, in 2012 and in Denver, Colorado, in 2014.
He also officiated at two European Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2004 and Lahti, Finland, in 2008.
Pepper was recently named RIC for the 2020 FIL U19 Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Limerick, Ireland.
Pepper looks forward to both events. “Thank you to the FIL. I am very proud of both of these appointments and very excited about the opportunity to give something back to international lacrosse.”
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Official website for the 2018 FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championship: worldlacrosse2018.com
