Thirsk schoolteacher Matt Messias is among an elite group of 20 referees to be offered the first professional contracts.

The move, a joint initiative between the Football Association, the Premier League and Football League, is part of a radical overhaul of the way match officials are managed, trained and developed.

The referees will initially be employed on a part-time basis, being paid a basic wage plus match fees, but the contracts are the first step towards the probable introduction of full-time, professional officials in one or two years time.

Messias, who is head of PE at Thirsk School, is excited by the prospect and is due to discuss terms and conditions early next week.

He said: "It's a positive step forward. It will definitely improve fitness and we will have time to prepare properly for matches instead of being rushed away from our jobs to get to a game."

Under the new set-up, the top referees will get together for three days in every fortnight to look at match videos, analyse performances and work on raising fitness standards.

They will be assessed by a new body, the Professional Game Match Officials Board, which is to replace the referees' National Review Board.

But Messias warned that the new system, while improving fitness levels and preparation for games, would not make refereeing mistakes a thing of the past.

He said: "Referees, like players, will still make mistakes because we will still have only a split second to see something and make a decision."

The elite group will officiate in the Premiership and selected Football League matches next season and Messias is looking forward to the challenge.

Once he knows the details of his refereeing contract, he will begin discussions on how to continue working at Thirsk school on a part-time basis.

He added: "The headmaster and all the PE department have always been very supportive of my footballing commitments."