Amazing facts about how referees are appointed for Premier League matches
Quite demanding it is though, the task of being an English Premier League official as it is well-exhilarating as well as a cumbersome disposition.
As a touchstone, the official's duty is uniquely dissimilar from that of the footballers who trot out onto the turf week in week out to express their talents — high levels of competency and appropriateness is viewed as the thematic templates for both the official's expertise and inch-perfect accuracy makes for a whole different understanding of the work.
Facts about how referees are appointed for Premier League matches (photo: Premier League )
However as already depicted, the processes of this selection skew markedly towards some rigorous qualifications for one to be deemed worthy of officiating a Premier League game in England, riding the high intensity and tension-soaked English football as a match official is literally the most difficult job in the world.
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But then it appears it is not all plain-sailing to be one. For instance, former English football stars, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have had the opportunity of training with some of these English football referees in their training base with the task-and-training sessions featuring intense fitness tests, physical and technical conditioning, overseeing games and running the lines, analysing decisions and match videos while making necessary checks and subsequently, corrections.
Furthermore, a peek into the routine life of Premier League match officials shows precisely devotion and efficiency and this was thus revealed by a Professional Game Match Official, Bobby Madley just before Burnley's trip to take on Sunderland in a Premier League encounter on Matchweek 29.
Premier League referee Bobby Madley putting his mic on before a game(photo: Premier League)
"We have breakfast as a team in a nearby hotel at 9am. I’ll normally have porridge, maybe a couple of poached eggs. Then we meet at 11am to share our thoughts on how we’ll approach the match. We’ll leave for the stadium at about midday", Madley began.
"We check the Goal Decision System at 1pm, have the security briefing at 1.30pm, get the team sheets at 1.45pm and meet the captains at 2pm, so it's quite hectic before the match.
"At 2.30 we go out and warm up, get a feel for the atmosphere and the pitch, say hello to a couple of the players, and make sure physically we’re prepared for the game because the first decision might be the biggest one we make.
"We work in triangles of three referees. In my triangle it's myself, Martin Atkinson and Stuart Attwell. We have five assistants attached to us, so we'll work in a combination of those.
"It's a sense of pride. It's a matter of wanting to go out and deliver, not just for myself but for my team, for all of the Select Group lads and to ensure we're casting refereeing and the Premier League in the best possible light," He concluded.
"Thirty minutes after full-time the managers can come and see me. I’m happy to open my door, to listen to their point, and usually they’re happy to listen to mine. I’ve made an honest decision about what I’ve seen at that time.
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" They may have watched incidents back on video but I don't see clips until after I've left the stadium", he said in conclusion.
With that explanation having been made, it could yet beg the question — how and when are these officials scheduled to see to the matches of, let's say, the Premier League.
According to the English Premier League official website, the appointment of matchday officials is traditionally announced each Monday.
If there is a Monday night football fixture to take in, then the appointments of its officials will be announced on a Tuesday before that matchday.
It is equally worth noting that Premier League matches are officiated by the Select Group Referees and assistant referees who are appointed by the Professional Game Match Officials Board, a team of well-trained 79 referees and 257 assistants.
They take into account several factors, including the referee’s overall experience, their current form, how often they have refereed the clubs involved, which team the referee supports and any forthcoming international appointments.
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Source: Naija.ng