The Referee’s Number

La Poste (the French postal service) has been a long-standing partner of French referees since 2007. The organization provides support to local and national referees across four partner sports federations: football, basketball, handball, and rugby.

During the "Refereeing Days" (Journées de l'Arbitrage) taking place in October 2026, La Poste is taking action to promote the value of refereeing and safeguard the integrity of sport.

The Referee’s Number
La Poste, long-standing partner of referees for the past 19 years, has collaborated with WINGS (BETC Paris/Havas Paris) and the French federations for football, rugby, basketball, and handball to launch an unprecedented initiative in stadiums. For the first time in Europe, referees wore a number on their backs, a move aimed at putting an end to the disrespectful behavior they often face.

This original initiative was rolled out during the major national end-of-season finals. Just like the players, the referees wore a number on their backs: 84.

A Key figure
84% of French people believe that referees should be valued and protected (Source: Ipsos BVA / Groupe La Poste, Survey on violence against referees in amateur sports, July–September 2025). Yet, acts of incivility continue to spread. This is why the fight against such behavior is at the heart of this year La Poste’s "Refereeing Days" program. The initiative "The Referee’s Number", rolled out during the finals of French cups and championships, served as the starting signal for this effort.

This unprecedented initiative sent a strong message against incivility. It also served as a reminder of an obvious truth: respect must unite everyone who brings sport to life.

“The most important thing is always being able to join the conversation, to be where the people are. When it comes to talking about officiating, there was no better place than the playing fields themselves. A segment dedicated to referees, something specia, never seen or done before, ended up being discussed even in the live commentary for the finals of football, rugby, basketball, and handball games.”, explains Jérôme Galinha, Executive Creative Director at BETC Paris.

The Refereeing Days
The goal of this initiative is also to shift perspectives on refereeing, to provide greater recognition for the individuals who bring matches to life, and to make the role more attractive.

As such, the "Refereeing Days", organized every year by La Poste, provides national visibility for these commitments and extend the spirit of the "the Referee’s Number" campaign.

19 Years of Commitment
La Poste has been supporting French referees and the practice of officiating since 2007. To date, more than 58,000 referees have received support. Each year, the group introduces over 13,000 young people to the role of a referee, particularly in middle and high schools, and presents awards to recognize and promote the officiating community.

We may not wear the same jersey, but we share the same passion!