From players to referees: innovative programme under way in England

Last autumn, ten former professional players embarked on a three-year "Player to Match Official" programme run by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) – the body responsible for professional referees in England – in conjunction with the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

Between them, the ten participants have an estimated 4,000 games behind them as players and Dan Meeson, development director at PGMOL, has watched their early progress with interest as he guides them along this new pathway.

The participants are given the chance to referee local matchesBarrington Coombs, PGMOL/PFA

From talk to action

He explains: "For so long, so many people in the game had spoken about the possibility of former professional players becoming referees and making good referees. We got to the point where we weren’t prepared to keep just talking about it. We’re committed to seeing if it works by giving people an opportunity."

So far, the participants have refereed local matches – mainly involving school, college and university teams – as well as at professional club academies. "What we are giving them now is essential whistle time," adds Meeson. "We need them to grow in confidence to make decisions."

Interestingly this is one area where he believes their playing experience can help.

PGMOL development director Dan MeesonBarrington Coombs, PGMOL/PFA

Intensive learning environment

The fledging match officials receive a salary to support them and have access to the PGMOL’s 18 regional training hubs, where they attend strength and conditioning sessions, as well as to eLearning portals to study weekly playlists of incidents they can learn from. Each month, adds Meeson, they attend a two-day training camp focusing on fitness, practical exercises and technical aspects "such as foul detection, positioning and movement, player management, teamwork, and body language."

For Meeson, there is a need for the group to "stop thinking like players". This means not only shedding any deep-set sympathy for players operating in their old positions but to think ahead as a referee does. "Some of the early games show that the referee tends to watch the play – ball-watch – instead of anticipating the next phase of play because they’re almost in awe of the pass or shot or the tactical move," he explains.

Ex-Port Vale midfielder Anthony Griffith, one of the course participantsBarrington Coombs, PGMOL/PFA

‘A totally different skillset’

According to one participant, ex-Port Vale midfielder Anthony Griffith, another challenge has been learning the Laws of the Game. "If you ask any player, they’ll tell you they know what an indirect free-kick is for but they probably don’t to be honest," says the 38-year-old. "It is something you’re not really taught. You’re taught about positions on the pitch or how to receive a ball or how to pass a ball 50 yards. This is a totally different skillset and one I’m really relishing.

"Dan has taught us well in terms of trying to step away from being a player to a referee and how you have to think a little bit differently," he adds. "That’s what I am finding most fascinating."

From next season, the cohort will receive more technical input with regular detailed feedback from the group of professional referee coaches who support the PGMOL’s match officials. And by the end of the third season, the hope is that an answer to that opening question may be a step closer.

As Meeson says: "This is very much a pilot programme and we’re learning as we go but to get at least one of the ten on the periphery of the professional game would be really positive."