FIFA Announces New Equipment for Referees At Club World Cup

FIFA Announces New Equipment for Referees At Club World Cup

FIFA announced on Tuesday that referees at this year’s Club World Cup will be equipped with body cameras and instructed to enforce new rules aimed at reducing time-wasting by goalkeepers. The use of these cameras will be trialed following their approval last month by IFAB, the governing body responsible for the laws of the game.

“We believe this provides a unique opportunity to offer viewers a fresh experience, with images captured from a perspective never seen before,” said Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. “It’s not only an exciting experience for broadcasters but also valuable for coaching purposes.”

Collina emphasized that having access to the referee’s viewpoint is essential during post-match analysis, allowing officials to evaluate how decisions were made and to understand the reasoning behind them.

In addition to the body cameras, the tournament in the United States will introduce stricter measures to prevent goalkeepers from wasting time. If a goalkeeper holds onto the ball for more than eight seconds, the opposing team will be awarded a corner kick.

Currently, goalkeepers are only penalized with an indirect free kick for holding the ball beyond six seconds, but this rule is rarely enforced.

The Club World Cup is set to begin on June 14 and will run through July 13.