For the first time in the history of football, referees will communicate to fans at the stadium.
Referees will announce their VAR decisions over the stadium public address systems at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco, football lawmakers said.
The decision to launch the 12-month trial at FIFA tournaments, starting with the CWC in Morocco, was announced by the the International Football Association Board (IFAB) during its annual meeting in London.
For the first time in the history of football, referees will communicate to fans at the stadium the reasons behind their decisions. The sound will also be broadcast on television through their microphone.
The change could be made permanent after the 12-month test is complete and may also be implemented in the upcoming Women’s World Cup. Most IFAB proposals have two-year trial periods before they can be fully implemented in competitions like Club World Cups, youth tournaments, and women’s tournaments.
Referees had never before had to defend their choices in front of the crowd and had always stayed out of the spotlight. With the modification, decisions regarding matters in which VAR intervened will be made clear.
Meanwhile, use of a stopped clock as opposed to a running clock was another topic covered during the annual meeting. It is one of three ideas that the IFAB is examining to improve the time in matches.
The IFAB, which oversees football rules, is composed of FIFA and the four British football associations, each of which has four votes.
Any proposal must receive six out of a possible eight votes to pass.