Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO), the body tasked with overseeing elite refereeing in English football, has been rebranded as Professional Game Referees (Pro Ref) ahead of the 2026-27 season.

A number of structural changes were also announced on Tuesday after increased funding was secured from the Premier League, English Football League (EFL), the Football Association (FA) and Women’s Super League (WSL) in a new three-year agreement.

All referees servicing the Premier League and EFL will now fall into a single Professional Referee Group, with the previous bands of Select Group 1 — who most high-profile officials who predominantly took charge of Premier League matches — and Group 2 — professional officials who primarily officiate in the Championship — merging to create “greater competition and recognise high-performing and talented match officials.”

Additional funding will also be directed towards development and educational programmes to support the FA’s work at grassroots level. Among the aims is to increase diversity among officials and offer a “stronger understanding of officiating to academy players.”

Pro Ref will retain Howard Webb as its chief refereeing officer following his appointment in 2022 and he says modernising the organisation will improve pathways for talented officials.

“An environment focused on high performance is fundamental to enhancing refereeing standards whilst a clearer and more contemporary representation of professional refereeing in England is vital to support the ongoing development in our area of the game, attracting the best people to fulfil the integral role officials play each and every week,” said Webb in a statement confirming the rebrand.

Pro Ref’s changes are the latest overseen by Webb since his return to English football from a role with Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Professional Referee Organization four years ago.

Webb, who took charge of the 2010 World Cup final, introduced the Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP) in an attempt to fast-track the best young officials up the English football ladder. Among those to benefit with promotions to Premier League duties in the last 12 months have been Thomas Kirk and Farai Hallam.

CORE X has also been set up to support officials from historically underrepresented communities, along with the Player to Match Official programme, which is funding 10 former professional footballers to train as referees.

Pro Ref’s latest developments came on the back of consultation with stakeholders, including the Football Supporters’ Association.

“The extensive change happening within the organisation has been supported by the competitions and is being enabled by a fully-funded three-year plan,” said chief operating officer Danielle Every.

“Our new name signifies these changes and progress, giving us a more modern, professional and relevant identity which is more representative of the organisation we are now and want to be in the future.”

PGMO was established in 2001 in a bid to improve refereeing standards across the Premier League and EFL.