Agreement reached. Our referees are back on the field

Football Australia, the Australian Professional Leagues and the Professional Football Referees Association have established a shared framework for refereeing through to the end of the 2026/27 season. Our members will return to the field.

The agreement was reached ahead of the Hahn Australia Cup Final and the start of the 2026/27 A-League and Australian Championship seasons.

What has been agreed

Under the agreement, referees will be contracted and employed exclusively by Football Australia, with the APL covering the costs of officiating A-League matches.

The framework runs to the end of the 2026/27 season. All three parties will continue working together towards a longer-term agreement.

What this secures for our members

• Employment with Football Australia, not with the league whose matches our members officiate.
• Certainty for the 2026/27 season, allowing our officials to prepare and focus on their work.
• A platform for continued discussion on the long-term structure of elite refereeing in Australia.

When our members endorsed their resolution on 4 September, the concern at the heart of it was that elite officials would be partly contracted to an organisation controlled by the clubs competing in the competitions they officiate. This agreement addresses that concern directly.

PFRA President Evgeny Vizelman said:

“The PFRA welcomes the agreement reached with Football Australia, which provides our members with the immediate certainty they need and allows our referees to return their full focus to officiating.”

“Importantly, this agreement also creates an opportunity for ongoing collaboration regarding the longer-term future of elite refereeing. We remain committed to working constructively with Football Australia and the APL to develop a sustainable structure that supports the continued growth and professionalisation of refereeing in Australia.”

“We believe there is a genuine opportunity to build something that works for all parts of the game. Our members are looking forward to getting back on the field and to working with both organisations to ensure Australian refereeing continues to progress domestically and on the international stage.”

Thank you

To our members, who stood together through a difficult period, and to everyone across Australian football who supported them along the way. Taking themselves off the field was not a decision any of our officials wanted to make.

The PFRA will continue to engage with Football Australia and the APL on the longer-term structure of professional refereeing in this country. For now, our officials are looking forward to getting back out there.

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