Marisca Overtoom: The Whistling Pharmacist
14 June 2026
Marisca Overtoom is active as a referee at the Marveld Tournament for the second time this year. She lives in Heerhugowaard and officiates at both national and international levels.
At what level do you referee matches?
“I currently referee in the men’s 2nd and 3rd divisions and in the women’s Eredivisie. Except for international matches, I usually referee on Saturdays. Occasionally, I also get to officiate international matches. Last week, for example, I was in Gibraltar, where I refereed a women’s international match between Gibraltar and Kosovo. Some time ago, I was on the Faroe Islands, so I do end up in places you don’t usually visit.”
What is your ambition as a referee?
“When it comes to men’s football, I want to referee at the 4th division level in the coming years. I see that as a great challenge. In women’s football, I’d love to referee a European Championship or World Cup final someday. Since I’m active at different levels, I sometimes tend to approach refereeing men’s matches a bit too routinely. That’s my weakness. If you want to referee at a higher level, you naturally have to take steps and improve. I get evaluated twice a season by an assessor and am part of a pool of about 50 referees. Each year, only three or four referees get promoted.”
What do you do to stay fit?
“My hobby as a referee takes up about 15 to 20 hours a week. Besides the matches, I train twice a week with the Amsterdam Referees’ Association and go to the gym every day. That’s necessary because, in addition to refereeing, I also have a busy job as a pharmacist. Additionally, I come from a creative, musical family. Together with my sisters and cousins, I won The Voice Family. So, I want to keep developing myself, both on and off the pitch.”
