Current and former footballers are offered the opportunity to start their career in refereeing
The PGMOL and PFA have created a new program to offer players and former players the opportunity to move into refereeing.
Billed as a 'player to match official' scheme, the Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP), which is fully funded by the Premier League, will allow high-potential candidates to progress further up the ranks over a period of shorter time.
The program has been designed as the Football Association and PGMOL continue their attempts to modernize the match refereeing pathway by providing opportunities for high potential individuals to progress to the highest levels of the game in a shorter period of time.
The PGMOL is considering ten to twelve current or former players to enroll in the three-year refereeing scholarship program.
The pilot scheme has received more than 120 expressions of interest from PFA members.
Potential referees will receive centralized training, education and development, as well as expert input from experienced staff.
They will also have a bespoke games program offering them the opportunity to referee at various levels and will be able to referee in England's professional leagues during or after the programme.
Howard Webb, director of refereeing at PGMOL, said: “We have made no secret that we are looking to broaden our pool of referees and attract people from other areas of the game and society to referee, who historically have not been well represented.
“In addition to our commitment to developing our current referees, we aim to create the best possible environment to support and encourage current and former players to improve their skills, knowledge and ultimately their qualities as match officials through of this program.
“It has been fantastic to collaborate with the PFA on this program and the level of interest from their members clearly indicates that they feel this is an exciting opportunity to explore a pathway that could potentially take them to the highest levels of our game, this time as a referee of the match.”
Selected participants will be paid with the expectation of two full days of employment through the PGMOL.
This will include attending regular referee meetings and matches, as well as two full days of employment through the PFA Business School.
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This will include attending regular referee meetings and matches, as well as two full days of employment through the PFA Business School.
Those interested will need to submit a formal application to determine their suitability for the programme, and the ten to twelve participants will begin their training in the summer with a refereeing course that will include both technical and practical training.
The new program will run in parallel to the academy's referee courses for academics, which aim to improve player education on refereeing as part of one of the new measures introduced through the Participant Behavior Charter endorsed by the game.
“This is an excellent opportunity for any current or former PFA member who has ever wanted to get into refereeing,” said PFA chief executive Maheta Molango.
“As a 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 the doors to becoming a referee, which is an exciting prospect for anyone who is passionate about football and wants to retain and utilize their professional football experience.”
