FIFA has authorised the French Football Federation to experiment with referees being equipped with microphones according to L’Équipe .
This would follow a similar system as to the one used last year in the under-20s World Cup in Argentina. Referees at the tournament were allowed to explain their decisions to the teams and the stadium after consulting VAR.
As Éric Borghini, the president of the Federal Referees Commission, explains “ The microphones would only be connected for the most contentious actions when the referee reviews them. For our part, we are in favour of a permanent sound system. But FIFA is moving forward step by step. ” However, an executive committee at the FFF are scheduled to meet on the 22nd of March to further define how this programme will operate.
A source revealed to L’Équipe , that the first tests might be trialled this season in the Division 1 Féminine playoffs when the top four of the division will split off into a mini-tournament to decide the winner of the league and Champions League qualification. While Ligue 1 may have to wait until next season to implement this experiment, although this timeline could be accelerated if there is enough support from the clubs.
This decision will perhaps alleviate some of the concerns that have been growing this season over the standard of refereeing in France , and the worries among referees that their decisions have become increasingly misunderstood and undermined in the VAR era.
GFFN | Nick Hartland
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