This weekend, the Premier League 2025 - 2026 season will kick off. There are too many things to look forward to, from new contracts, competition schedules, competition goals to stars... But, put aside the professional problems of teams, coaches, and players, let's go into the world of referees, who are often targeted with suspicious or even more severe looks than maliciousness.
In the Premier League, each match is a speed race, a battle of wits and sometimes a... nerve battle, not only between 22 players but also between the "kings in black". They are not allowed to make mistakes, even though football is a human and emotional game. But in the VAR era, social networks and millions of followers have made refereeing the most demanding job.
Confessions
We dont want to make referees famous, but we want people to see them as ordinary people, Howard Webb, director of the Professional Referees Management Agency (PGMOL) said while sitting on the pitch in Spain, in a pre-season training camp for elite English football referees. It seems simple, but amid great pressure from 4 sides and 8 directions, to keep the "man" part in each decision is a difficult challenge.
One of the important criteria for performance is physical fitness, which helps us comfortably meet the increasingly demanding requirements of modern football.
Behind-the-scenes stories can help people understand how referees prepare and work throughout the season - where they are always under scrutiny.
This job has never been scrutinized like now, Webb admitted, and was concerned that more and more people are doubting the motives behind the referees decisions, instead of understanding that they are just human decisions, made at that moment by someone who wants to do their job well.
He said: "People often think that there is something uncertain behind that decision. But in reality, there is not.
VAR - New measures of Premier League referees
VAR technology and how it is applied are still hot topics. Webb considers this a "measure" to evaluate the effectiveness of refereeing, especially after the 2024 - 2025 season is considered to have progressed. He cited: The number of VAR errors decreased from 31 (season 2023 - 2024) to 18 in the last season, and the overall accuracy rate reached 97.5% according to the Council for Important Matchment scenarios - an independent agency that supervises referee performance.
However, Webb admitted: Every mistake can have a huge impact, so we always find a way to minimize it.
From next season, after testing in cup competitions, Premier League referees will announce VAR results directly to the audience on the field. At the 7-day training camp near Alicante, referees practiced broadcasting announcements at a simulated VAR station. Referee Peter Bankes admitted: "We are a bit worried because this was not in the original scenario, but we will prepare best to do it properly from the beginning of the season".
PGMOL also appointed former Dutch referee Kevin Blom as VAR performance coach, responsible for raising standards and supervising the VAR intensive training program, starting from 2024.
Referee Matt Donohue - from EFL - shared about his first time doing VAR in the Premier League: "It was not until you sat in that chair and made a direct intervention that affected the Premier League match that you understood the feeling of adrenaline rising".
New law, new technology and psychological pressure
The Athletic's Inside the World of Premier League Referees podcast talks about new rules and improvements such as the referee-powered camera or semi-automatic offside technology, along with an 8-second rule for goalkeepers to limit time-wasting. I think this rule has been needed for a long time, because it was difficult to beat the goalkeeper before, Bankes said. He will raise his hand to count down the last 5 seconds: "Just make sure that I don't raise the wrong finger, solve the numbers".
Andy Madley added that the referees are trying many ways to make it easier for audiences to follow: "We also consider technical factors, for example, every second countdown will be accompanied by a light hand waving move".
Madley also spoke frankly about the mental pressure: There are times when I make decisions on Saturday, and I have to wonder if I am mentally ready to continue playing the next game after 7 days?
Last season, referee David Coote was fired by PGMOL after The Sun released two videos: One of which was criticizing coach Jurgen Klopp, and the other video was accused of inhaling white powder through a roll. After the incident, Coote publicly announced that he was gay and said that he had kept it a secret to avoid being insulted by fans.
Webb emphasized that mental health is a top priority for coaches and psychologists who support referees: We also ask about their personal lives to ensure that they are not always "difficult" to endure. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, nor does it affect the assignment of the match".
Physical training and nutritional science
psychological support comes with high-level physical preparation and performance data analysis. Francis Bunce - senior sports expert at PGMOL - said: "Just at the end of the training session, whether in Carlisle or Kazakhstan, they can synchronize the data for us to see right away".
Referees must undergo a maximum speed test and Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) - according to fitness coach Matt Willmott, it is a challenge of " seeing who dares to put themselves in a state of exhaustion".
Assistant referee Akil Howson jokingly said: MAS? We call it hell. But thanks to that, they are able to keep up with players like Anthony Elanga (Newcastle) who run up to 37km/h. We are at 32-33km/h, which is not far behind, Howson shared.
James Wilson - a referee - compared the offside situation to "a beach ball", and recalled the insult he received: "I was called out for everything in the world".
Referee John Busby recalled the incident where a group of fans waited for him at the parking lot. James Linington concluded: Its not right to limit refereeing, but its a part of the culture.
Respect
Caffein in the form of chewing candy, pre-match rituals and carefully mixed smoothies are also in the "arbitration world". Vicky Smith - sports science and nutritionist - said: "Research shows that the better the body is, the more alert the brain is. At that time, they have more energy to make quick decisions, instead of having to recover physically.
In the eyes of many fans, the referee is the one who "destroys" the match if there is a controversial decision. But when they leave the pitch, put off their headphones and take off their black shirts, they are just ordinary people - racing against age, physical strength, public pressure and even mental damage.
Webb was right when he wanted people to see referees as human. Doing so is not a new rule, new technology or physical exercise, but a matter of respect, from the players, coaches, fans and even the people who wrote the pen.
