Premier League refereeing is arguably one of the toughest jobs in football, with a select panel of referees regularly tasked with covering matches in the top flight.
VAR still causes a lot of controversy every week, but the technology does its best to avoid getting involved unless it’s ‘clear and obvious’, making on-field decisions more important than ever.
Also, matches are definitely faster than ever before, so referees have to be very fit and react quickly. But who is the best referee in the Premier League right now?
Premier League Umpire Ranking (Minimum 3 matches) | |
|---|---|
rank | reference |
1 | anthony taylor |
2 | michael oliver |
3 | stuart atwell |
4 | Craig Pawson |
5 | Jared Gillette |
6 | darren england |
7 | chris kavanagh |
8 | Simon Hooper |
9 | andy madley |
10 | peter banks |
11 | robert jones |
12 | michael salisbury |
13 | tony harrington |
14 | Samuel Barrett |
15 | thomas bramall |
15
thomas bramall
Thomas Bramall, one of the Premier League’s most inexperienced referees, was the central man who made a huge mistake in canceling out Aston Villa’s goal on the final day of the 2024/25 season against Man United.
Although this could have cost Villa a place in the Champions League, PGMOL continues to support Bramall, who is believed to be a referee who is 35 years old and in the early stages of his top-flight career.
14
Samuel Barrett
One of the most card-happy referees in the Premier League, Samuel Barrot is one of the least experienced referees in the top flight after making his debut in the 2023/24 season.
He took charge of 23 games in the 2024/25 season and apologized for his mistake after accidentally missing Ebelesi Eze’s free-kick during Crystal Palace’s defeat to Brentford.
13
tony harrington
Tony Harrington averages one of the lowest fouls per 90 points, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad referee.
He made his Premier League debut in the 2021/22 season but has yet to be given the chance to play regularly in the top flight. Harrington’s highest number of games came in the 2024/25 season, when he managed 18 games.
12
michael salisbury
Michael Salisbury never became a regular in the Premier League after taking charge in the first game of the 2021/22 season.
He was on VAR duty and instructed referee Robert Jones to look into Josh King’s goal against Chelsea, which was wrongly ruled out. Salisbury was removed by PGMOL shortly thereafter.
11
robert jones
Nottingham Forest are not big fans of Robert Jones and manager Evangelos Marinakis have lodged a formal complaint against the 38-year-old following a series of decisions against the Reds.
Although he was the first referee in the Premier League to refuse a red card, some of Jones’ decisions have been controversial, with him awarding a penalty every three games on average.
10
peter banks
Peter Banks has refereed more than 100 Premier League games since 2019, but the Merseyside-born player has regularly faced criticism from fans.
Former referee Keith Hackett even said Banks looked “mad to the core” in 2025 after the decision he made in the Manchester United v Bournemouth match.
9
andy madley
Andy Madrid, a FIFA-approved referee who was in charge of the FA Cup final, has officiated over 100 Premier League matches since the 2017/18 season.
More recently, he has made some controversial decisions, including against Everton against Man United, which resulted in Toffees fan Tony Bellew calling him a “cheater”.
8
Simon Hooper
Simon Hooper often attacks early instead of conceding an advantage, which has infuriated Premier League players and managers in recent years.
An experienced top-flight official since making his debut in 2015, Hooper has often come under fire and was injured in Liverpool’s defeat to Brentford at the end of October, but he was also a central player in the Reds’ controversial defeat to Tottenham in 2023.
7
chris kavanagh
Chris Kavanagh has been in the headlines in recent years, including kicking the ball away to send off Declan Rice and missing a penalty that upset Bruno Fernandes.
The Greater Manchester official has been on FIFA’s register since 2019 and is approaching 200 Premier League appearances at the age of 40.
6
darren england
Another FIFA referee, Darren England, came to the attention of the international governing body after two years on the Premier League board.
He was part of the VAR team that somehow mistakenly ruled out Luis Diaz’s goal as offside in Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham, but he has been a consistent performer on the pitch in recent years.
