FIFA has announced that referees will wear body cameras at the 2025 Club World Cup. This initiative is a step towards integrating body cameras into live match broadcasts and using them as a tool for referee training.
The decision follows the International Football Association Board`s (IFAB) approval for a trial period, aimed at exploring the future potential of body cameras and establishing quality and safety standards in their use.
These body cameras, providing a first-person perspective of the referee`s view, will be incorporated into the Club World Cup game broadcasts. They will also serve as an educational resource for referee coaching and development. Fans and FIFA officials will gain a direct understanding of the referee`s viewpoint and the factors influencing their decisions.
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, emphasized the trial nature of this implementation. “We believe this offers viewers a novel experience, presenting images from a previously unavailable perspective,” he stated. “Furthermore, it serves referee coaching purposes. Observing the referee`s line of sight is invaluable for post-match analysis, enabling evaluation of decision-making and viewpoint. It`s a dual benefit: enhancing broadcast experience and aiding referee education.”
The introduction of referee cameras at the Club World Cup is preceded by pilot programs in English grassroots football, initiated in 2023 to improve player and supporter conduct towards referees. Body cameras have also been tested in the Premier League, notably during a match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United last season, and in the Bundesliga.
In a related announcement, FIFA has modified a rule for the Club World Cup. Referees will now award corner kicks, instead of indirect free kicks, when goalkeepers are deemed to waste time by holding the ball for over eight seconds.
