BBC Sport has confirmed that the Professional Referee Group services the Premier League and the Championship. The referees are training full-time, with sessions sometimes taking place two or three times a day. This includes running and cycling in chambers of around 40 degrees to prepare them for the intense heat at the World Cup.
Sam Allison, the first black referee in the Premier League for 15 years in 2023, played for Chippenham Town and Frome Town during his playing career, which started at Swindon. Allison is a former firefighter. Sam Barrott, who refereed the Community Shield win over Manchester City this month, has been given Saturday's early match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Barrott took charge of Arsenal's Community Shield win over Manchester City this month and refereed Ki Klaksvik's 0-0 draw with Riga in the Europa Conference League on 20 August.
The referees are also using heart rate and GPS technology to monitor their training. They are on tailored plans and work in a group of around five once or twice a week at local hubs where strength and conditioning sessions are delivered. This training is paying off, with referees running a total of 3.6 million metres last season, and their overall sprint distance being 12,136 metres.