Eight things the Premier League ref cam has shown | OneFootball

The Premier League’s ref cam, mounted by the right ear to show an official’s view, has shifted from the US Summer Series and a May 2024 Manchester United v Crystal Palace trial to a broader rollout this season, including live cutaways and mic’d-up social edits.

According to NY Times, FIFA judged its Club World Cup experiment in the US to have exceeded expectations, with the cameras slated for all 104 World Cup matches across the US, Canada and Mexico, plus adoption in the NWSL and last weekend’s Copa del Rey final.

The clips humanise officials and reveal the speed of decisions, with light moments such as Michael Oliver teasing Conor Gallagher during Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham, and Chris Kavanagh asking James Tarkowski if refereeing might beckon. Others test patience, from West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes bothering a free-kick wall and drawing Anthony Taylor’s intervention to Aston Villa’s Victor Lindelof protesting the wrong offence.

They also show the mechanics in flashpoints. In Chelsea’s 3-2 win over West Ham, Taylor checked via VAR whether Adama Traore had pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair, then, after Jean-Clair Todibo grabbed Joao Pedro by the neck and Cole Palmer urged a review, he went to the monitor and sent Todibo off.

The camera often yields superb angles, from Dominik Szoboszlai’s free kick against Arsenal to Michael Oliver anticipating Morgan Rogers’ two finishes for Villa at Manchester United, with similar clarity on Alex Scott’s Bournemouth winner and Cody Gakpo’s pass for Mohamed Salah.

There are limits. In February’s north London derby, a Tottenham strike was disallowed for Randal Kolo Muani’s push on Gabriel, Peter Bankes ended protests and VAR did not consider it a clear and obvious error, yet the narrow field of view fuelled debate.

VAR’s presence is constant in the audio and around goals. There is even gallows humour, as Cristian Romero picked red at the coin toss then was sent off 29 minutes later, and one Villa player later told Oliver every game should have a camera, a sentiment rugby union has embraced for years.

Source: NY Times