Are referees professional?
Referees have been professional for a number of years now, in that they have been paid for the matches they referee. However, since the start of the 2001/2 season, referees also receive a retainer fee and are obliged to attend a number of training sessions organised by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). This does not mean that they work exclusively for PGMOL though, with most referees also working in other professions during the week.
