Referee body cameras could feature in the Premier League this season after the game’s lawmakers gave them the green light, the PA news agency understands.
The cameras were trialled at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, which finished earlier this month, and the directors of the International Football Association Board, which sets football’s laws, have now given their approval for other competitions around the world to follow suit.
The technology is likely to feature in next summer’s World Cup and it is understood it could also be offered to broadcasters as part of the Premier League’s new domestic television deal.
Clubs will need to approve precisely when and how the cameras are used in the coming weeks, but the league has already shown a willingness to innovate in this area, with referee Jarred Gillett wearing a camera during a Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United in May last year.
The purpose of the trial at the Club World Cup was to see whether it enriched the viewing experience by providing footage from the referee’s perspective.
Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of FIFA’s referees committee, hailed the success of the cameras and said the trial had gone “beyond expectations”.
It therefore seems extremely likely world football’s governing body will want to use the cameras in its showpiece national-team tournament next summer.
“We thought it would have been an interesting experience for TV viewers and we’ve received great comments,” Collina told fifa.com earlier this month.
“We were asked, ‘Why not in all the matches?’ and even more, ‘Why not in all sports?’.
“We had the possibility to see what the referee sees on the field of play. And this was not only for entertainment purposes, but also for coaching the referees (and) to explain why something was not seen on the field of play.”
The cameras highlighted how a handball by an Atletico Madrid defender in their match against Paris St Germain could not be given on-field by the referee because his line of vision was blocked, with the VAR able to alert the official.
Competitions wishing to participate in the extended trial will need to seek permission from the IFAB and from FIFA, who will provide detailed recommendations and technical information to help them use the technology effectively.
Other enhancements to the Premier League television experience this season include dressing-room access, half-time interviews and in-match interviews with managers or substituted players.
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