Current and former footballers will be offered the opportunity to explore a refereeing career in a new programme to be launched by the Professional Football Association (PFA) and the PGMOL, the body responsible for officiating in English football.
The initiative is designed to offer progress to refereeing at higher levels of the game for footballers within a shorter timeframe, with the aim of identifying between 10 and 12 current or former players to enrol on a three-year refereeing scholarship programme.
It will form part of the PGMOL’s Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP) which the PGMOL say is designed to “modernise the match officiating pathway” and increase opportunities for players to enter into officiating.
120 members of the PFA have expressed an interest in the scheme, which will have the benefit of “centralising training, education and development”, with participants afforded refereeing opportunities “in line with their performance” and fast-tracked into the professional game, should they successfully complete the course.
The footballers who have expressed an interest will submit formal applications to determine their suitability for involvement with the programme starting later this summer.
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Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer of PGMOL, said this marks the latest approach to not only “broaden” the number of officials but specifically by appealing to those “from other areas of the game and society into refereeing who may have historically not been well represented.”
Maheta Molango, the CEO of the PFA, said: “As the players’ union, we are constantly looking across the game to create pathways and opportunities for players to reinvest their experiences both on and off the field.
“Successfully completing this three-year journey could open doors to becoming a referee, which is an exciting prospect for anyone passionate about football and who wants to retain and use their experience within professional football.”
(Andy Sims/PA Images via Getty Images)