Hugh Dallas will lead the newly-unified group officiating across the Premier League and Championship, overseeing the training, performance management and technical development of officials. He will also continue to work closely with stakeholders and play an important role in ongoing engagement with clubs. Dallas has made a significant contribution to the organisation since joining in 2024 and now he steps into this leadership role.
Professional Game Referees (Pro Ref) is the body that oversees all Premier League, English Football League (EFL), WSL Football and Football Association (FA) competitions. Funded by the competitions it serves, Pro Ref works in collaboration with them to deliver a long-term match-officiating strategy, under the leadership of Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb and Chief Operating Officer Danielle Every. Increased funding from the Premier League, EFL, The FA and WSL Football as part of a new three-year agreement will build on the progress made through the Premier League-driven Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP). This has delivered enhanced coaching and performance support for match officials working in an environment focused on high performance. The ERDP - due to enter its fifth year of significant funding - has enabled Pro Ref to put a more modern and dynamic pathway in place, which will continue to provide opportunities to those who are ready to officiate across the various levels of the professional game. That funding will also see further investment in supporting and accelerating the next generation of talent with an emphasis on a revamped Development Group and the CORE X programme, as well as educating and providing a stronger understanding of officiating to Academy players. These initiatives will continue to complement The FA’s model across grassroots and semi-professional levels while strengthening the refereeing pathway both now and in the future. Signalling a new chapter for professional refereeing in England, the change from Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) to Professional Game Referees (Pro Ref) underpins this period of ongoing transformation for the organisation albeit with the same aim – to deliver the highest possible standards of refereeing in this country for the benefit of the game.
Source: Pro Ref
