The five criteria PGMOL consider when deciding which Premier League matches referees are given – Premier League

The PGMOL – the refereeing body of English football – have a list of five criteria that they consider when deciding which referees to assign to each game.

Officials who are part of the Select Group 1 – the highest group – are generally chosen from for Premier League matches.

There are also officials in Select Group 2, who largely officiate EFL matches but can also be temporarily ‘promoted’ if required.

The PGMOL must consider potential conflicts of interest, with referees not allowed to officiate any matches of the club they support. For instance, Michael Oliver never officiates Newcastle matches as he is a fan of the Magpies.

But there is also a list of four other criteria that the refereeing body considers when choosing to appoint officials.

As per the Premier League website, one of the key factors is how often the referee has officiated the team involved. Referees are able to take charge of teams on multiple occasions per season, but the PGMOL attempts to ensure variety and this can sometimes be linked to where the referee resides.

The third criteria is a referee’s experience level, with those that possess more Premier League experience much more likely to be entrusted with the biggest matches that the division has.

An official’s current form is also taken into account, with the PGMOL previously known to drop referees and their assistants if they have made high-profile errors in a recent match.

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But there are also other instances of this, with Anthony Taylor removed from refereeing duty for one weekend last month after he and his family were sent death threats online.

And the final criteria is any forthcoming international appointments, with some Premier League referees often chosen to officiate in European or even international matches throughout a season.

Craig Pawson, Rob Jones, Michael Oliver, Darren England, Jarrad Gillett and Anthony Taylor have all officiated in the Champions League at least once each so far this season, with Oliver refereeing the most on three separate occasions.