PGMOL to explore referees explaining decisions to crowd inside stadium

The head of Premier League referees, Howard Webb, has said he is exploring the possibility that referees might be allowed to explain some of their decisions to the crowd inside a stadium for the first time – from next season.

World football’s lawmakers, IFAB, have rules that forbid any discussions between match officials to be played live inside a stadium – even though the body responsible for appointing Premier League referees, Professional Game Match Officials Limited [PGMOL], is pushing for that to change in the future.

But PGMOL think it may be permissible within the existing rules for referees to explain their decision to the crowd whenever they are called over to review an incident on the pitchside monitor.

That would be the only circumstance in which the referee would be allowed to speak directly to the crowd.

Webb addressed the issue in “Refs Mic’d Up” which aired on Sky Sports Premier League on Tuesday.

Webb offers hope but ‘it’s complicated’

Sky Sports News chief reporter Rob Dorsett:

“It’s complicated, because IFAB, the people who make the rules of the game, have never allowed live audio between match officials to be played to the crowd.

“The PGMOL would like that to happen. IFAB won’t allow it.

“But Howard Webb says he thinks there is scope within the existing rules for referees when they’re called over to the screen to review a decision to then explain – if they are changing that decision – why they are changing it to the crowd.

“So by next season, we might see, for the first time, the referee for the first time talk directly to the crowd to explain their decisions.”

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