The NFL has had a practice in place since the 1970s that is now making its way to English soccer. On Tuesday, in a notable advancement, football referees in England began using wireless microphones to explain contentious decisions to fans present in the stadium.
The English League Cup semifinals were selected as the location for this trial, where officials utilized the public address system to address the crowd directly after events involving the Video Assistant Referees (VAR). The inaugural match to implement this new system took place between Arsenal and Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium. Despite the historic occasion, there was no moment for referee Craig Pawson to speak to the fans, as Newcastle secured a 2-0 victory through goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.
An incident that raised questions occurred when Isak seemingly pushed Martin Odegaard during the lead-up to his goal, but referee Pawson did not opt to review the play on the sideline monitor. The English Football League, which oversees the League Cup, expressed that these announcements would enhance understanding and transparency regarding critical decisions made during the game.
In-stadium announcements were previously employed during the Women’s World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, in addition to other FIFA events. In the Premier League, decisions arising from VAR checks are usually communicated to spectators through large screens or the PA system, confirming if a review is taking place and sharing the final ruling.
Trying this new communication method, referees will directly inform the crowd of the final decision after reviewing incidents on a monitor located on the sideline. This includes situations such as accidental handballs by a player who scored or offside calls. It’s important to note that only the final determination will be communicated to the fans.
Though in-stadium announcements are a new development in soccer, they have been prevalent in other sports for quite some time. NFL officials were equipped with wireless microphones back in 1975 to clarify penalty decisions. The NFL initiated a replay system from 1986 to 1991, briefly suspended it, and then reintroduced it in the 1999 season. The NHL integrated a replay system in 1991, followed by the NBA in 2002. Major League Baseball started making in-park announcements during replay reviews in 2022, and rugby referees have used microphones for an extended period.
The ongoing trial in English soccer includes both legs of the two-legged League Cup semifinals. In addition, Tottenham is set to face Liverpool in the other semifinal, with the first leg taking place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday.
