Premier League takes next step towards bringing referee conversations to TV

The Premier League is expanding its use of Ref Cam, with broadcasters set to show selected audio from conversations between referees and players for the first time.

The agreement allows Sky Sports and TNT Sports to broadcast parts of the exchanges captured by the referee-worn camera during matches. The move is intended to give supporters a better understanding of what happens on the pitch and provide greater insight into key incidents and the interactions between officials and players.

The development follows pressure from the two broadcasters, as well as a desire from the Premier League and its refereeing body to make fuller use of available technology and offer viewers more detail about events that are normally outside the television picture.

Ref Cam was used in about 20 Premier League matches last season. That figure will rise to roughly 45 games in the new campaign after the initial trial provided viewers with new perspectives, particularly on tactical details and the communication between referees and players.

Under the new arrangement, broadcasters will be permitted to use audio recorded by Ref Cam during no more than one or two incidents in each round of the 38-round Premier League season. The material will be shown as part of an immediate or near-live replay rather than as a continuous live feed throughout a match.

The system is designed to help viewers understand the nature of discussions between match officials and players during important situations, while stopping short of making every conversation on the pitch available to the public.

Audio linked to Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviews will remain excluded. Communications during those reviews cannot be broadcast under the existing rules set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

The Premier League and its refereeing body are understood to be dissatisfied with the current limits of the system and are pushing for future changes to the laws of the game. Those changes could eventually allow referee-player conversations to be broadcast live and on a wider scale, although any such move would require approval from the relevant international authorities.

The decision forms part of a broader trend in English football towards giving supporters greater access to incidents and discussions that previously took place away from the cameras. The aim is to narrow the gap between what viewers see on their screens and what is actually happening on the field.

For now, however, the new arrangement will remain tightly controlled. The selected audio will only be used in a small number of incidents during each round, and viewers will not hear a continuous stream of conversations or any discussions connected with VAR reviews.