Euro 2024, which is being held in Germany from June 14 to July 14, will see two major new features in terms of refereeing. To start with VAR, video assistance, which as soon as it is used, will give rise to a real-time explanation of the decision taken by the referee. Spectators in the stadiums will be able to watch the justifications on the giant screens. The announcement was made on Wednesday by the head of the UEFA referees committee.
For example, if a penalty is awarded after the referee has entered the VAR, spectators will be able to read: “Penalty, foul play. Germany’s No.9 player touched the ball with his left hand which was in an unnatural position, above his shoulder and widening his body“. The same announcement will also be communicated to commentators so that they can relay it to viewers.
A similar system was put in place during the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The referees announced the decisions to the spectator with a spoken announcement before resuming play.
Dialogue possible only between the referee and the team captain
Another novelty, only the team captain will be authorized to communicate with the referee, and the referee will only speak to him alone to explain a decision. Any other player who challenges what the referee says or who asks for an explanation will be penalized with a yellow card.
This rule was applied in all three European competition finals, with two yellow cards in the Champions League final, two yellow cards in the Europa League final and one yellow card in the Conference League final. “We are doing this for the next generations. We don’t do it for the referees, but for football and the image of the game, for young players and for young referees“, justified Roberto Rosetti, head of the UEFA referees committee, calling on the players to avoid any dispute and to let the captain discuss with the referee.
For the selections which have a goalkeeper captain (Italy and Slovenia), a player will be designated before the match to represent the goalkeeper during the match.
