Several referees in the Premier League will wear a so-called ‘Ref Cam’ at the start of the new season, reports The Guardian. According to the newspaper, Premier League clubs have given broadcasters TNT Sports and Sky Sports permission to show the footage.
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The Premier League is set to introduce a groundbreaking piece of technology to the English game as part of an experimental trial the ‘Ref Cam’.
While no official announcement has yet been made by the league itself, reputable British newspaper The Guardian reports that several referees will wear the device during matches in the opening round of the new season. The move marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to provide fans and broadcasters with fresh perspectives on key match incidents, while also increasing transparency around refereeing decisions.
According to the report, it remains unclear which specific fixtures will feature the ‘Ref Cam’ during the opening weekend. However, given the excitement and attention surrounding the new Premier League campaign, it is expected that at least one high-profile game will be chosen for the debut. The season begins this Friday, with reigning champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield, a fixture that could serve as a prime opportunity to showcase the innovation to a global audience.
The technology itself is relatively compact but designed to capture high-quality, close-range footage. Referees taking part in the trial will wear a lightweight camera mounted on their right ear, connected to a small microphone and a wireless transmitter. This setup will allow both video and audio to be sent to the league’s broadcast partners, TNT Sports and Sky Sports, who have reportedly been granted full permission by Premier League clubs to use the material. The key distinction is that the footage will not be streamed live to viewers during the match instead, it will be used for replays and analysis, giving audiences an unprecedented, first-person view of the action from the referee’s perspective.
This type of technology is not entirely new to football, but its use at the elite level has been rare. FIFA successfully trialled the ‘Ref Cam’ earlier this year at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where it was implemented in select matches. The results, according to Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA’s referees’ committee, “exceeded all expectations.” Collina, himself widely regarded as one of the greatest referees in football history, praised the system for providing a unique insight into the speed, intensity, and complexity of decision-making on the pitch.
Following the trial in the U.S., the International Football Association Board (IFAB) the organisation responsible for the Laws of the Game conducted a formal review. In July, IFAB gave its approval for the ‘Ref Cam’ to be tested in domestic competitions around the world, paving the way for leagues like the Premier League to explore its potential benefits. The move is part of a broader strategy to make refereeing more accessible and transparent to fans, particularly in an era where the use of VAR has placed unprecedented scrutiny on officials’ decisions.
Advocates of the system argue that ‘Ref Cam’ footage can help bridge the gap between supporters and referees by showing exactly what an official sees in the heat of the moment. By offering that perspective, broadcasters can better explain why certain decisions are made, whether they involve contentious fouls, penalty claims, or offside calls. Furthermore, the audio feed captured alongside the video could give fans a rare insight into on-pitch communication both between referees and players, and between referees and VAR officials though how much of that audio will be made public remains to be seen.
However, the trial is not without its critics. Some have raised concerns about player privacy, the potential for footage to be misinterpreted by viewers unfamiliar with refereeing protocols, and the added pressure on match officials who may feel that every word and movement is under even greater scrutiny. Others have questioned whether the footage might be used selectively by broadcasters, highlighting only controversial moments and thereby increasing criticism rather than fostering understanding.
Despite these concerns, the interest in such technology has been steadily growing. Other sports, including rugby, ice hockey, and American football, have successfully used similar systems to immerse audiences in the game. In rugby, for instance, referee microphones have long been used to broadcast live decision-making discussions, which has been widely praised for its transparency. The Premier League’s adoption of a comparable approach could be a turning point for football broadcasting.
Should the opening-round trial prove successful, it is expected that the ‘Ref Cam’ will be rolled out in more fixtures throughout the season, possibly including high-stakes matches such as derbies, title deciders, or key relegation battles. The long-term goal would be to integrate it into the regular broadcast package, much like VAR replays have become a standard part of the viewing experience.
For now, the exact matches and referees involved in the first weekend’s trial remain under wraps. But with the green light from IFAB, the backing of Premier League clubs, and the enthusiasm of major broadcasters, the ‘Ref Cam’ experiment is set to be one of the most talked-about innovations of the new season one that could change the way fans experience the beautiful game.
Updated: 04:06, 13 Aug 2025
