Women's Super League: Referees will be analysed for first time

Scotland international Jane Ross reacts to a decision by referee Rebecca Welch during the Women's Super League match between Reading and West Ham in February

Referees in the Women's Super League will undergo the same analysis used on referees in the Premier League for the 2019-20 season.

The 'match official evaluation scheme' will be used for the first time in an attempt to improve standards.

Referees will have access to match footage which will provide forensic video analysis of every decision.

Current WSL referees are often appointed from a pool of the men's fifth tier (National League) officials.

They may also be appointed through the FA's senior women's development programme, with officials who specialise in women's football, while all match officials receive bespoke training for women's games.

"Every referee will get the game back [to watch], with every decision that they made or didn't make," said Kelly Simmons, FA Director Women's Professional Game.

"They will receive coaching of it, rather than an assessor sitting in the stand and guessing whether they got it right or not."

Simmons hopes the evaluation scheme will help officials develop and "an evolution of that would naturally be professional referees in the WSL".

The scheme is funded by the FA but the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOB) will operate it using evaluators with specialist training in the women's game.

Decisions will be reviewed and referees will then have the opportunity to offer their context and rationale. Any subjective decisions are reviewed again before a final outcome is made.

BBC Sport has launched #ChangeTheGame this summer to showcase female athletes in a way they never have been before. Through more live women's sport available to watch across the BBC this summer, complemented by our journalism, we are aiming to turn up the volume on women's sport and alter perceptions. Find out more here.