A three-day training course was held by the International Esports Referee Academy ©IESF

The first graduates have emerged from the International Esports Referee Academy.

The academy, run by the International Esports Federation (IESF), is located in Busan in South Korea and 10 candidates were selected for the course after being nominated by National Federations.

Huseyn Nasirli and Faraj Nasirli from Azerbaijan and Thailand's Vorathep Theppongpech were among those to graduate from the three-day course.

IESF President Colin Webster was one of those teaching, along with Sungwon Lee and Seonghee Sinnara Bae, veteran esports scholars and referees.

Referee theory, IESF rules, ethics and enforcement procedures were covered.

There were also technical classes concerning the settings of communication devices.

There is a growing demand for esports referees ©Getty Images
There is a growing demand for esports referees ©Getty Images

"IESF’s International Esports Referee Academy is an intergroup part to the development of esports on an international level which will have long term benefits for all national federations reaching right down to grass roots thought the Referee Academy," Webster said.

"IESF expects to see a greater number of players who have reached the end of their competitive life becoming involved as referees on an international level."

The City of Busan and the Busan IT Promotion Agency helped sponsor the course.

The academy is one of three pillars of the IESF's "Global Esports R&D Center", which was established in 2018 in Busan.