Sarah Ho calls time on A-Leagues career
On Saturday, Football NSW match official Sarah Ho took to the field on a national league fixture for the last time, serving as assistant referee for the match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Western United at CommBank Stadium.
Originally from Nepean, Sarah has spent 21 years at the peak of domestic football in Australia across the following competitions and roles:
- A-League Women’s Assistant Referee 2003-2024, 109 matches
- A-League Men’s Assistant Referee 2007-2015, 67 matches
- A-League Men’s Video Match Official 2019-2024, 129 matches
Sarah became the first woman to be selected for appointment to the A-League Men’s competition in 2007. For many young people, being able to watch Sarah perform at the highest level of football in Australia on games on television was their first experience of seeing a female match official in a professional environment, inspiring them to take up refereeing.
In the women’s game, she was appointed as an assistant referee for eight W-League/A-League Women’s grand finals and on December 8, 2023, Sarah made history again by becoming the first match official (referee or assistant referee) to officiate 100 A-League Women’s matches.
Sarah’s achievements also extend to the international stage; she was the longest serving female on the FIFA Panel of International Referees and has officiated at three FIFA Women’s World Cups – 2007, 2011 and 2015 before her international retirement at the conclusion of 2023.
Alongside her three World Cup appearances during her 22 years on the FIFA Panel of International Referees, Sarah has also officiated six U20 World Cups, two Olympic Games (2008 & 2012), two Asian Games and three Asian Cups. She is a pioneer for female match officials and in 2014 was one of two females appointed to the AFC Men’s Elite Assistant Referees Panel in 2014, officiating two AFC Cup matches during the 2014 AFC Cup competition.
Sarah in an accomplished match official, one who has inspired countless others to pick up the whistle or the flag and join the refereeing community. Alongside her commitments to her job and her family throughout her career (as there are no full-time female match officials in Australia), Sarah consistently attends referee training sessions and events to speak to community match officials, speaking candidly about her experiences as a female match official within a male dominated space, as well as her experience of becoming a mother and how she managed her return to national and international football while raising her child.
Sarah’s ongoing contributions as a match official have positively impacted not just football as a whole, but the lives of countless young people who are inspired by her journey and how she overcame the obstacles throughout her career. Football is made better not only by female match officials throughout the game, but by female match officials like Sarah who have paved the way for generations to come. Football NSW congratulates Sarah on her achievements in the professional game and her contribution to the sport as a whole.
