You may be right.Nope. As I understand it they are employed.
But how do you employ a 60+ referee who does not want to retire? What would they do on a permanent contract until the age of 67+?
It's a while back but one of the PL refs who retired mentioned in their book that they were all on 1 year deals which were renewed each season based on performances.
Employment law is a nightmare and you only get certain rights once employed for 2 years on a permanent contract.