18 a referee should be polite and have the capacity to be understood by others, be open-minded, but also be in command of good language skills. He/she should also practise good communication with the couple referee, the delegate, the time keeper, the score keeper, the teams’ members and officials, even with the audience and the TV and media. Apart from well-trained soft skills, a referee should also be in good physical condition that keeps up with the requirements of modern handball. He/she should have his/her own individually adjusted training methods but also relaxation techniques. The physical condition of a referee should often be tested and examined. Moreover, the programme should have an informative nature regarding promotion possibilities and the option to become an international referee, as well as benefits in every day life, such as travelling, the prestige that comes with being a referee, etc. Lastly, the programme should also inform referees of financial advantages included, i.e.: covered travel expenses and accommodation expenses, salary for whistling a match, etc. 4.3. Example DEN At the 2010 EHF Referee Education Workshop in Vienna/AUT EHF YRP Coordinator Henrik La Cour Laursen/DEN presented an overview on the referee education and further training system for the approximately 1750 active handball referees in Denmark. DHF League (1st division) Age limit 55 years 14/12 couples 2 courses (2+1 days) per year 4x shuttle run per year (9,5; 8,5 level) Region (2nd division) Age limit 55 years 24 couples 1 course per year 2x shuttle run per year District (3rd division) Age limit 55 years 72 couples 1 evening per year 1x shuttle run per year Local (various matches) No age limit Approx. 800 couples 1 evening per year 1x shuttle run per year In Denmark, referees can start at the age of 15. All referees have the chance to be promoted to the next category, provided that their performance is good. Of course, they can also be relegated, if their performance is poor. Young referees have the chance to climb to the top quite fast, if they have the talent and are guided very carefully by a mentor or observer. Once on regional level, the Danish Handball Federation takes over the education of referees. These referees have to attend courses on a regular basis and participate in tournaments, where all the referee talents in Denmark come together and undergo further theoretical and practical training sessions. At the top, Denmark has a system that secures that at least one couple is going up/down