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      Why are the Club World Cup referees wearing microphones?

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      FOOTBALL fans have begged for more transparency on refereeing decisions – and they could finally be getting their wish.For all its controversy, the introduction of VAR has helped referees to often make the correct call on several incidents.
      VAR has become a huge part of modern day footballCredit: Getty
      And the semi-automatic offside system played a huge role in decision making at the World Cup.
      However, fans still feel as if they have been left in the dark once a conclusion has been agreed by the match officials.
      But that could all change should this new trial go according to plan.
      Why are the Club World Cup referees wearing microphones?
      The Club World Cup referees have been trialling technology which allows fans in the stadium to hear match officials explaining decisions.
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      It has been set in place for fans to have more transparency on how the referees have come to their decision following a VAR review.
      And the Club World Cup which began on February 1, 2023 is the first event of a 12-month trial period in international contests.
      What has been said?
      The trial was implemented by the International Football Association Board.
      FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina said that the purpose of this trial is to make the VAR intervention more ‘understandable for all’ including spectators watching from home.
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      He said: “As language could be one of the issues, we thought this FIFA Club World Cup would be perfect because it’s a multi-language competition, with teams and, of course, spectators involved coming from all six of the different continents.
      “I have to say that there are other experiences in other sports, namely the NFL in American football, who have been doing this for quite a long time.
      “It seems that the referees are pretty comfortable with this. More

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      Watch Atletico Madrid star celebrate on BENCH as he’s subbed off after disallowed goal – only for VAR to overturn it

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      ANGEL CORREA will never have a more bewildering goal celebration.The winger was mobbed on the bench by Atletico Madrid after being taken off – as VAR eventually awarded him a goal that had been ruled out.

      Atletico winger Angel Correa is overjoyed as he gets off the bench to share his goal joy with fellow home playersCredit: BeIN sports
      Atletico players rushed into celebrate sub Angel Correa after his strike was eventually adjudged a goal by VARCredit: Rex
      Correa brilliantly thumped home a rebound opener on the hour in Saturday’s 1-1 home LaLiga draw with Getafe.
      But it was erased for offside and the Argentinian was promptly replaced by Yannick Carrasco.
      Correa put on a jacket as he settled back on the bench, while referee Antonio Mateu waited for a replay amid confusion and a lengthy delay on the pitch.
      Mateu at last overturned his no-goal verdict – sending Atletico players racing off the pitch to bury the seated Correa in a sea of hugs.
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      The 27-year-old finally scrambled up to take the cheers of the crowd and rejoice in a more conventional way on the touchline.
      And fans on social media were as stunned as Diego Simeone’s men by the bemusing incident.
      One said: “It’s the wildest thing I’ve seen since a pen was awarded to Sevilla in a play that originally ended in a Real Madrid goal two seasons ago.”
      That was a slightly-incorrect reference to ex-Barcelona hero Ivan Rakitic notching a spot-kick in May 2021 to help ruin Real Madrid’s title dream that season.
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      Real striker Karim Benzema was set to win a penalty after being pulled down by Yassine Bounou.
      But replays rolled play back to the other end to spot a handball from Eder Militao in his own box as Sevilla went on to earn a 2-2 draw.
      It also sparked bemusement as some observers made points like: “I thought substitution was not allowed during VAR review.”
      But one fan responded: “He got subbed THEN the VAR guys let the ref know ‘hey we may need to check this out’.
      “Correa was already in his jacket getting warm by the time they decided to review it. While it was live it didn’t look like they were going to review it.”
      Correa had earlier missed a sitter as fourth-placed Atletico struggled to break second-bottom Getafe down.
      And the visitors snatched a shock point on 83 minutes when Saul Niguez handled, enabling Enes Unal  to level from the spot.
      Atletico chief Simeone said: “We went ahead after a huge effort, against a team that defended well and shut off the avenues to goal.
      “We tried in every way, we played the game we wanted to play, we couldn’t get the second goal which allows you to be more calm and then something happened that can happen in a game, an isolated move, a penalty where there wasn’t any danger.”
      Correa, right, was eventually ruled onside when he crashed the opening goal, only for lowly Getafe to rescue a surprise pointCredit: BeIN sports
      Argentina ace Correa was well settled on the bench when his goal was givenCredit: BeIN sports
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      Refs chief Howard Webb gives harsh verdict on Rashford offside vs Man City as he reveals TWO big decisions VAR got wrong

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      HOWARD WEBB said he would NOT expect Bruno Fernandes’ goal against Man City to be given if the same thing happened again.The PGMOL chief was asked about VAR’s application ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Fulham.
      Howard Webb stood by the Rashford offside decision
      And while he stopped short of labelling Stuart Attwell’s decision incorrect, he said most people would expect an offside to be given.
      Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher questioned Webb about a controversial decision which resulted in a Manchester United goal against Manchester City last month.
      Bruno Fernandes scored after Rashford ran onto a pass from an offside position, and although he did not touch the ball he appeared to distract Ederson and Manuel Akanji.
      And Webb said: “Over time the laws of the game have moved in a direction where to be penalised in an offside position without touching the ball you have to do one of four quite specific things.
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      “The aim was to be consistent in the application, Rashford doesn’t exactly do one of those four things but you could argue he does.
      “There is definitely an interpretation needed, there’s some element of subjectivity about it. On the day the officials felt he didn’t interfere as per the way it is defined in the law.
      “That was supportable. I think the game has told us that there is an expectation that situation should have led to an offside.
      “We’re here to serve the game, we’re here to listen to the game.
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      “I think if that exact circumstance happens again you would probably see a different outcome now based on all of what we’ve taken on board since then.
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      “You can’t say that was an incorrect decision…(but) it is clear that most people would expect that to be offside if that exact same thing happened again.”
      Gary Neville then asked who Howard Webb had consulted specifically when he referred to “most people”.
      And Webb said: “We speak to other associations – be it the LMA, PFA, clubs. We speak to league execs, our officials. We discuss these situations and tweak things as we go.
      “I think the issue with that one is Rashford followed the ball for quite some distance and got really close.
      “And in general terms he probably impacted either Akanji or the goalkeeper in those circumstances, and I think that’s why the game expects it to be offside.
      The ref’s chief was more unequivocal however, in calling out two other VAR decisions.
      He held his hands up and said fouls committed by Fabinho and Andy Carroll should led VAR to overturn their yellow cards into reds.
      Webb added: “Certainly the Fabinho one was one that we actually acknowledged publicly that it should have led to a video review.
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      “The referee showed a yellow card, the VAR did not feel that it reached that threshold of being a clear error. We feel that was wrong, we feel it should have got involved and overturned the decision.
      “You can make a similar case for the tackle by [Andy] Carroll on Christian Eriksen which was not a great tackle.” More

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      Club World Cup referee makes history as he explains VAR decision to fans for first time ever

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      A REFEREE in Morocco made history as he explained a VAR decision to fans inside the stadium for the first time ever. Video Assistant Referees have had a growing and controversial presence in football over the last few years.
      Ma Ning made history after broadcasting his decision-making to fans
      The Club World Cup is voice system trial could be expanded to other competitons
      Fifa chiefs are attempting to tackle criticism that the system lacks transparency and leaves fans inside the ground in the dark.
      The Club World Cup is hosting a trial where refs have to explain their decisions over a loudspeaker in the stadium.
      A game between Oceania champions Auckland City and Egyptian side Al-Ahly’s has gone down in history as the first where the system has been used.
      Chinese referee Ma Ning incorrectly awarded a penalty to Al-Ahly after Taher Mohamed was taken down by Adam Mitchell deep in stoppage time.
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      After consulting the pitch side monitor, Ning realised that the tackle had happened on the edge of the box rather than inside the penalty area.
      The mic’d up official returned to the pitch and his voice boomed over the speaker system to the 47,000 supporters inside the ground.
      Ning said: “Decision will be a free kick. Auckland No.3 – denial of a goalscoring opportunity.”
      He then gave Mitchell a red card. The sending off did not effect the overall outcome of the game with goals from Hussein El Shahat, Mohamed Sherif and Percy Tau sending Al-Ahly through to the second round.
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      Fans can expect to see more of the voice system with the technology set to be trailed throughout the Club World Cup, including when Champions League winners Real Madrid enter the tournament.
      If the trial is deemed a success, the men’s Under-20 World Cup and the women’s World Cup will also see the system used.
      It could then arrive in major European competitions like the Premier League. More

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      Man Utd would tumble down the table with Liverpool in a relegation battle if the Premier League didn’t have VAR

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      LIVERPOOL would sink close to a relegation fight if VAR didn’t exist.And Tottenham would leapfrog Manchester United into the top four.

      Jurgen Klopp would be raging even more if his mid-table Liverpool side hadn’t benefited from VAR decisions this seasonCredit: AFP
      Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag would see in-form Marcus Rashford and Co fall out of the Champions League spots were it not for video replaysCredit: Getty
      That’s the verdict from an old-style Premier League table – one WITHOUT key decisions made by video replays.
      ESPN compiled the Prem’s alternative look, with Arsenal’s lead over champs Manchester City cut from five points to three.
      But the main drama comes below that.
      Spurs would jump from fifth to third, dumping United out of the Champions League places.
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      In contrast, the main sufferers would be Liverpool.
      Jurgen Klopp’s under-achievers can thank VAR for being only a poor ninth rather than 11th and just six points off the drop zone.
      In fact, Liverpool top the list for points gained from video-replay decisions – with SIX picked up.
      Next come Aston Villa on four, followed by United, Brentford and Crystal Palace on three.
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      Lowly Leeds are the main VAR losers on five points.
      Pep Guardiola’s City and West Ham would each have three points scrubbed off, with two removed from Brighton and Everton.
      Of course, that all relies on no other goals being scored after the video verdicts. 
      And that’s a tad unlikely.
      But it still suggests VAR has had a major impact.
      Liverpool’s video benefits, in their otherwise gloomy campaign, included three huge incidents.
      VAR allowed one of Roberto Firmino’s two goals after it was initially ruled out for offside against Mo Salah in a 3-3 draw with Brighton in October, which was most notable for Leandro Trossard’s hat-trick.
      In the same month City hero Phil Foden had a goal erased for an Erling Haaland foul on Fabinho as the Reds eked a 1-0 win at Anfield in October.
      And just a fortnight ago Kai Havertz’s early strike was scrubbed out for offside in a 0-0 Anfield stalemate with Chelsea that helped neither side.
      Chelsea’s Kai Havertz celebrates only to have his goal against Liverpool ruled out by VAR during the Anfield stalemate in JanuaryCredit: AFP More

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      ‘Bit awkward’ – Sam Surridge left red-faced as he does Cristiano Ronaldo celebration before goal vs Man Utd is ruled out

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      SAM SURRIDGE trolled Manchester United by copying Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration – then saw his goal ruled out.The Nottingham Forest striker was left red-faced when VAR chalked what would have been his equaliser off.
      Sam Surridge thought he had levelled for Nottingham Forest against Manchester UnitedCredit: PA
      He did the ‘meditating pose’ made famous by Cristiano Ronaldo
      NO GOAL! ❌A ruthless counter-attack from Nottingham Forest is brilliantly finished by Sam Surridge but it’s ruled out for offside after a VAR check! 📺 pic.twitter.com/hmxGrND99v— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 25, 2023

      Surridge, 24, thought he had brought his side level in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at the City Ground.
      Morgan Gibbs-White led the rapid counter-attack at United’s exposed defence on 22 minutes.
      He slipped in Surridge, who coolly curled the ball into the bottom corner past David De Gea.
      The ex-Bournemouth man – who scored an equaliser at the Vitality on Saturday – raced away to celebrate in front of the travelling Red Devils supporters as the home end of the stadium erupted.
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      And he chose to recreate the ‘meditating pose’ made famous by ex-United star Ronaldo and also performed by United star Alejandro Garnacho before his Forest team-mates mobbed him.
      However, Forest’s joy was cut short when the VAR looked at the replays and proved Surridge was just offside when the pass was played.
      And plenty of fans took to social media to mock the unfortunate forward – describing the incident as a “bit awkward”.
      One said: “Surridge with the Ronaldo celebration. Only to be called for offside. In your face.”
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      Another wrote: “Man United have to bury Forest now lol. Sam Surridge really disrespected them like this with that Ronaldo celebration.”
      A third added: “That disappointing ending to the Surridge goal is really a homage to Ronaldo’s ending at United.”
      And a final user commented: “And he hit with a Ronaldo celebration against Man Utd this Surridge guy 😭😭😭. Nice try tho.”
      United led 1-0 at the time of Surridge’s blooper moment thanks to Marcus Rashford’s early opener to continue his red-hot form.
      On-loan striker Wout Weghort made it 2-0 to Erik ten Hag’s side just before half-time before Bruno Fernandes completed a dominant 3-0 win.
      Forest supporters were gutted to see the goal ruled outCredit: PA More

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      Premier League games set to last 100 MINUTES next season as World Cup-style time-keeping set for global roll-out

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      WORLD Cup-style time-keeping will be introduced into the Prem next season after football’s Law-makers approved its global roll-out.And fans in stadiums are set to be told by referees why VAR decisions have been made for the first time as the game’s tech revolution gathers pace.
      The Premier League is set to introduce World Cup style added timeCredit: Alamy
      Yesterday’s business meeting of the International FA Board at Wembley saw a series of significant decisions that will change the face of football – with extra added time in each half becoming part of the game.
      England’s World Cup opener against Iran saw 27 minutes of added time across both halves, with an average “ball in play” of 58 minutes across the 64 matches.
      But while Ifab chiefs hailed the “success” of the initiative, they do not believe that matches will last 105 minutes-plus across major leagues and competitions.
      It meant there will be no trial of the idea, championed by former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, of an independent stop-clock ensuring a minimum amount of ball in play time.
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      FA chief executive Mark Bullingham explained: “We wanted to improve the amount the ball was in play within the existing Laws.
      “The World Cup proved we could do that.
      “Rather than having a standardised time of one minute for an injury, if a player went down for three minutes, there were three minutes added.
      “So there’s no advantage for a player in staying on the ground longer than they might otherwise need to – and the team doesn’t gain advantage from it.”
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      Miking up referees for the first time – to explain to the fans in the stadium and watching on TV why a decision has been changed by VAR – will be another huge change.
      It will be trialled in Fifa competitions this season, starting with the imminent Club World Cup where refs include England’s Anthony Taylor, and potentially including the Women’s World Cup in the summer.
      Bullingham added: “The conversation between the referee and the VAR will still be private.
      “But then the referee will effectively go to the crowd and the broadcaster and say ‘this is what’s happened’. 
      “We think it’s significant and really important. We are doing it in international competitions first because that is harder than in domestic leagues where you can use your local language.”
      The move is the first major step by the Ifab into allowing stadium and TV fans a proper insight into VAR deliberations, with Prem chiefs likely to be able to decide in the summer if they will follow suit.
      It also backed the continued evolution of the Semi Automated Offside Technology deployed in the Champions League and World Cup, with members agreeing that the 3D animations give a better understanding of decisions for fans – although they are currently taking too long.
      And referees will be ordered to follow the official Ifab guidelines on what constitutes “deliberate” and “non-deliberate” play by a defender to reset offside, likely to mean Mo Salah’s goal for Liverpool in the FA Cup 3rd round draw with Wolves would have been ruled out.
      But despite the furore caused by Bruno Fernandes’ controversial goal in last weekend’s Manchester derby, the Ifab agreed there was no “gap” in the Laws that needed changing. More

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      Huge VAR shake-up will see referees explain decisions to stadium and TV audience at Club World Cup next week

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      REFEREES at the Club World Cup will announce the reason for VAR decisions to the audience in the stadium and at home, according to reports.Ifab have authorised the trial, which will see referees mic’d up so spectators are made aware of their decisions, according to The Times.
      Referees will announce their decision to the stadium and fans at homeCredit: Reuters
      The report also adds that a similar trial could take place at the Women’s World Cup in the summer.
      Supporters in stadia have so far been left in the dark over VAR checks, sometimes leading to confusion over what is being looked at.
      But the change will allow spectators an insight into why VAR has directed the referee to take another look at offside and handball calls, as well as other infractions.
      Fans and pundits alike have called for such a change, with Ifab agreeing that micing up refs is the easiest way to avoid confusion.

      Ifab also considered but rejected the proposal to introduce a countdown clock into the game.
      The change would have seen an independent timekeeper keep track of added time in an attempt to increase the amount of playing time.
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