Referee innovations at Club World Cup win praise, says Collina

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Former Italian referee Pierluigi Collina speaks at the 74th FIFA Congress at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 17, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

Referee body cameras, a new eight-second rule for goalkeepers, and advanced semi-automated offside technology introduced at the Club World Cup have been hailed as a success, FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina said.

The tournament, which marked the inaugural edition of the expanded 32-team competition, was the first FIFA event to use body cameras on referees.

Collina said the innovation exceeded expectations, providing unique perspectives for both television audiences and referee training.

The outcome of using the ref cam here at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 went beyond our expectations, Collina told FIFAs media channel on Thursday.

We thought it would have been an interesting experience for TV viewers and weve received great comments.

Collina said that the footage was valuable not only for entertainment, but also for referee development.

We had the possibility to see what the referee sees on the field of play, he said.

This was not only for entertainment purposes, but also for coaching the referees and to explain why something was not seen on the field of play.

He cited a group stage match between Atletico de Madrid and Paris Saint Germain, in which a referee missed a handball due to his line of vision being blocked.

From this ref cam, it was absolutely clear that the referee could not have seen that incident live on the pitch,