Cameras, smart offside, and 8-second refereeing changes at the Club World Cup
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The Club World Cup, which kicks off on Saturday with a match between Egypt's Al Ahly and America's Inter Miami, is undergoing sweeping changes to refereeing, FIFA announced. Among the most notable changes is that referees will wear body cameras to show match footage, but only for non-controversial incidents, FIFA's refereeing officials said on Wednesday.
Referees at the tournament will wear a small camera protruding from their earpieces, capable of generating footage as seen by the referees. However, while the match broadcast team will be able to provide unique angles of goals and saves, as well as live video and audio close to the pre-match draw, viewers will not be able to see penalty decisions or other controversial moments from the new camera angle.
FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina said the goal is to provide a new experience for television viewers. Collina, a former refereeing legend, added that the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the rules of the game, has authorized the technology to be tested, noting that footage of controversial incidents could be part of a future phase. He continued: "Let's take things step by step. Right now, this is an experiment. We need to innovate, and the simpler the better. So we've put some rules into place within a protocol. Will we be introducing these images in the future? Maybe we will."
The live images will be transmitted via a private 5G network from the referee to the match broadcast team, according to FIFA's Director of Innovation, Johannes Holzmüller, who noted that the live broadcast will only be available at the six NFL stadiums designated for the tournament. What Club World Cup fans will be able to see are the VAR reviews as seen by the referees on a screen outside the stadium, which will then be broadcast on giant screens in the stadium. The referee will later announce the final decision via the public address system and television broadcasts.
The tournament will also feature the use of "Semi-Automated Enhanced Offside" technology, which will utilize 16 cameras connected to artificial intelligence and algorithms that will send an audio message to the assistant referee when a player touches the ball while in an offside position. This system is likely to contribute to raising the offside flag early, reducing the chances of play continuing after a clear offside call until a subsequent VAR review.
The tournament will also see the early implementation of a new rule that gives goalkeepers eight seconds to throw the ball away after picking it up, or they will be penalized with a corner kick. The new rule replaces the previous rule, which gave goalkeepers six seconds to throw the ball away or cause an indirect free kick. Goalkeepers will also be cautioned after five seconds by the referee, who will count down the time with his fingers.
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