FIFA has revealed significant changes to officiating for the upcoming Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States from June 14 to July 13. The tournament will feature 32 teams and new directives aimed at improving the flow of the game.
One of the most notable changes involves penalizing goalkeepers who hold the ball for more than eight seconds. If a goalkeeper clutches the ball for too long, the opposing team will be awarded a corner kick. This rule aims to encourage quicker play and keep the game moving.
In addition to the time-wasting clampdown, referees will wear body cameras for the first time at a FIFA tournament. This trial initiative is designed to offer fans and officials a new perspective on in-game decisions. The cameras will also be used for training and evaluation purposes.
FIFA hopes these changes will improve the fan experience and keep the game moving. “It’s about keeping the game moving and making sure fans get the most action possible,” a FIFA spokesperson explained.
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA referees committee, highlighted the benefits of the innovation. “We think that it is a good chance to offer the viewers a new experience, in terms of images taken from a perspective, from an angle of vision which was never offered before,” he said. Collina also stressed the cameras’ value in training and evaluation, saying, “Having the possibility to see what the referee sees is important in the debriefing—to evaluate how the call was made, which was his view, and so on.”
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