'Ref Cam' footage won't show controversial incidents
Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela wearing the 'Ref Cam' during the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup final football match between Spain's Real Madrid and Mexico's Pachuca at the Lusail Stadium in Doha on December 18, 2024. (KARIM JAAFAR)
Referees at this month's Club World will wear 'body cams' with the footage used in broadcasts of the game -- but only if the images are of non-controversial incidents, FIFA refereeing officials said on Wednesday.
The match referees in the tournament will wear a small camera protruding from their earpiece which will be able to generate video from the referees point of view.
Advertisement
But while broadcasters will be able to offer unique angles on goals and saves -- as well as close-up live video and sound from the pre-match coin toss -- viewers won't get to see penalty decisions or other disputable moments from the new camera angle.
"The objective is to offer the TV viewers a new experience," said Pierluigi Collina, the Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee.
Collina said that IFAB, which sets the laws of the game had allowed a trial of the technology and suggested that footage of controversies might be part of a later phase in the future.
"Let's do things step by step. At the moment...this is a trial. We need to do something new and the simpler the better. So we fixed some rules within a protocol. We will offer these images in the future? Maybe when we learn to run, maybe not, maybe we will do," he said.
Advertisement
The live images will be broadcast via a private 5G network from the ref to the match production team, said FIFA Director of Innovation, Johannes Holzmuller, who said the live aspect would only be available in the six NFL stadiums being used for the tournament.
What Club World Cup fans will be able to see are the VAR reviews, as seen by referees on the pitchside monitor, which will be broadcast on giant screens in the stadium.
That video will then be followed by the referee announcing the final decision over the public address system and the television broadcast.
The tournament will also see the use of 'enhanced semi-automatic offside' technology which will use 16 cameras linked to AI technology and algorithms which will send an audio message to the assistant referee when an offside player touches the ball.
Advertisement
The system will likely see the flag raised earlier for offside and reduce cases of play continuing after a clear offside until a later VAR review.
The tournament will also be an early introduction of the new law that goalkeepers have eight seconds to release the ball after picking it up - or be punished with a corner.
It replaces the previous law that keepers had six seconds to release the ball or give up an indirect free-kick.
The goalkeepers will be shown a five second warning by the referee who will count down showing the fingers of one hand.
sev/rcw
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Club World Cup a chance for MLS to shine: Giroud
Olivier Giroud says the FIFA Club World Cup is a chance to showcase Major League Soccer (Luke Hales) Los Angeles FC striker Olivier Giroud says the FIFA Club World Cup is a chance to showcase Major League Soccer as the tournament kicks off this weekend. LAFC are one of three MLS sides entered in the 32-team tournament which begins in Florida on Saturday when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami face off against Egyptian club Al-Ahly. Advertisement The Seattle Sounders are the other MLS team in the tournament. Former France international Giroud, who joined LAFC last year after three seasons with AC Milan, told reporters on Thursday he believed MLS was "underrated" by the rest of the world. "We're honored to represent this amazing club, but we also know that we're representing MLS," Giroud said. "I think Seattle and Miami also know that responsibility. I think that this league is underrated, and I think a lot of it is just because it doesn't necessarily have the same exposure globally," the 38-year-old said. Advertisement "Hopefully a good run from us will show the level of this league." LAFC only forced their way into the Club World Cup via a hastily arranged playoff last month following the 11th hour expulsion of Mexican side Leon. The MLS side are grouped with Premier League giants Chelsea, Brazil's Flamengo and Tunisian side ES Tunis. Giroud said LAFC will kick off the tournament against his former club Chelsea on Monday as "underdogs", but urged his team-mates to embrace the label. "It is something that we can embrace, and I hope Chelsea and Flamengo and Tunis and all these teams, I hope they walk off the field with a great level of respect as to the quality of our players and the intensity and the commitment of our players," Giroud said. "If we walk off the pitch after every game like that, we will be proud." rcw/bb
Axios
30 minutes ago
- Axios
FIFA monitoring stadium upgrades in Dallas-Fort Worth for 2026 World Cup
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup is just one year away and organizers feel like they're having a "giant panic attack." Why it matters: Our region's reputation is on the line. The latest: FC Dallas president Dan Hunt shared everything organizers must finish to be ready. "The shot clock is on … it's going to go really fast now," he said during a transportation summit Thursday in Hurst. Hunt is a co-chair of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee. The big picture: North Texas will host nine matches, the most of any city. The region will have to arrange for security, transportation and lodging for athletes and spectators traveling to the region. 700,000 tickets will be sold for the nine matches at AT&T Stadium, Hunt said. What they're doing: Organizers will have to ensure the stadium meets FIFA's requirements for World Cup venues, including having real grass. They plan to remove the stadium's artificial grass, raise the field and create a new platform on it with sod, sand and soil. The task will require using grow lights and preparing backup fields in case more grass is needed, Hunt said. FC Dallas is renovating Toyota Stadium in Frisco for use as a base camp during the 2026 World Cup. The intrigue: The North Texas FIFA committee has also been helping the World Cup's European organizers understand Texans and their love of tailgating. Between the lines: Organizers in North Texas haven't said much about how they will get athletes, journalists, fans and workers to and from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, a suburban city without mass transit. The tournament's international broadcast center is in downtown Dallas and the fan festival will be at Fair Park. Teams could be stationed as far away as Denton. What they're saying: "My message to FIFA has been very simple: We're going to show you that you made a mistake not picking North Texas for the final," Hunt said.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Border Patrol will be at the Club World Cup, says it's routine to provide security for such events
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it regularly provides security at big sporting events in response to questions about the agency's presence at the FIFA Club World Cup amid President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. 'U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup 26 is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged,' the agency said Thursday in response to an inquiry by The Associated Press. The agency had previously deleted a social media post that said its officers would be 'suited and booted' for the opening round this weekend of Club World Cup games. FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed questions about CBP involvement during an event earlier this week promoting Saturday's opener between Inter Miami and Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. 'No, I don't have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are already attentive on any security question,' Infantino said. 'Of course, the most important for us is to guarantee security for all fans who come to the games. And this is our priority.' Border Patrol agents have routinely been called in to help with security for large events, including the Super Bowl. They handle things like screening cargo shipments into stadiums for hazardous materials and contribute to emergency planning. At last year's Copa America final at Hard Rock Stadium, throngs of fans breached security gates and forced the game to be delayed. The Club World Cup opener Saturday comes amid protests in several cities over actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The Club World Cup features 32 teams from across the globe playing in 11 cities nationwide through July 13. ___ AP soccer:
