Twenty-first-century refereeing: structures, management and the preparation of officials

Building on the previous chapter, here more recent developments such as the formation of the Premier League, the money associated with its development and the relationships that this has fostered within football related to refereeing are discussed. There are specific referee-related occurrences that have shaped the landscape in England more recently, particularly the advent and introduction of ‘full time’ or ‘professional’ (paid) referees who operate in the Premier League and the Championship and the associated advancements in training and development pathways. Refereeing systems in England are analysed and subsequently compared to those evident in Spain and Italy.