What was behind the cameras will come to light: a new surprise in the Premier League
What's the story?
The Premier League has taken a fresh step towards expanding the use of technology in matches. For the first time, television broadcasters will be allowed to air parts of the audio conversations between referees and players on the pitch, part of a plan to widen the use of "referee camera" technology and enhance the viewing experience for fans.
According to British newspaper "The Guardian", the agreement followed pressure from broadcasters "Sky Sports" and "TNT Sports", alongside the desire of the Premier League and the refereeing body to make greater use of technology and give fans more detail about what happens on the pitch.
Under the new system, the number of league matches using the "referee camera" will rise from around 20 last season to nearly 45 during the new campaign. The previous trial proved the technology could offer viewers new angles, particularly on tactical details and the interaction between referees and players.
Broadcasters can now air the audio captured by the referee camera in one or, at most, two incidents during each of the league's 38 rounds, provided the broadcast comes within instant or near-live replays rather than a continuous live audio feed throughout the match.
The measure aims to give viewers a better chance to understand the nature of the conversations between referee and players in key moments, without opening the door to broadcasting everything said on the pitch.
Conversations relating to video assistant referee "VAR" reviews, by contrast, will stay off air. Broadcasting the communications specific to these reviews is prohibited under the rules laid down by the International Football Association Board "IFAB".
Neither the Premier League nor the refereeing body appears satisfied with the limits of the current system. Both are pushing for future amendments to the laws of the game that would allow audio conversations to be broadcast live and on a wider scale, something that requires the approval of the relevant international bodies.
All of this reflects a growing trend in English football towards granting fans greater access to details that once took place away from the cameras, an attempt to narrow the gap between what the viewer sees on screen and what actually happens on the pitch.
