Tuesday 20 March 2018 06:01, UK
Female refs Melissa Burgin and Emily Heaslip walk us through their weekend in the women's senior referee development group.
The pair attended law classes and were put through their paces in fitness tests over a weekend as they attended the development group meeting at St George's Park.
The refs were also tested on their repeated sprint ability, and also had the 2017/18 season reviewed so far, as the officials seek to match the improving playing standards in the women's game.
As part of Support The Ref week, Sky Sports News went along for a behind-the-scenes look of their weekend...
Of the 29,248 referees in England in 2017/18, 3.6 per cent are female, with women's ref levels static compared to a decline in male referees.
Follow the debate all week on SSN and on our digital platforms at www.skysports.com/supporttheref
