FIFA has announced that referees will wear body cameras at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. This is a trial step towards using these cameras in live broadcasts and for referee training. The International Football Association Board approved the trial use to assess future applications and set quality and safety standards.
These body cameras will provide a first-person perspective of the referee`s view. They will be used in Club World Cup game broadcasts and as a training tool for referees. Fans and FIFA officials will gain a direct understanding of the referee`s viewpoint and the reasons behind their decisions.
Pierluigi Collina, chair of the FIFA Referees Committee, stated that this trial offers viewers a new visual experience from a previously unavailable angle. He also highlighted the coaching benefits, allowing for better evaluation of referee decisions by seeing their perspective during debriefings. It serves both to enhance broadcasts and for referee development.
Referee cameras were previously tested in English grassroots football in 2023 to improve player and supporter conduct towards referees. They were also used in the Premier League during a match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United and trialed in the Bundesliga.
In another announcement, FIFA introduced a rule change for the Club World Cup. Referees will now award corner kicks instead of indirect free kicks when goalkeepers waste time by holding the ball for over eight seconds.
Adrian Whitmore