Football: exchanges between the referee and the VAR live… towards a sound system for referees for French football

Clément Turpin et ses collègues verront leurs échanges être entendus en direct par les téléspectateurs. MAXPPP – Matthieu Mirville

La Fifa a autorisé le football français à expérimenter la sonorisation partielle des arbitres, a confirmé jeudi à l'AFP Anthony Gautier, directeur technique de l'arbitrage, à la FFF, une information du journal L'Equipe.

"I speak of partial sound because it only concerns the explanation of the decision taken by the referee in the framework of the call for VAR, details to AFP, Mr. Gautier.

In other words, during a contentious action requiring the use of video assistance, the referee will explain his decision using a microphone to those involved in the match, spectators and television viewers. His microphone will be muted for the rest of the game.

After several refusals from Fifa…

"Our goal is to be able to test this partial sound system at the end of this season. We would like it to be implemented for the final of the women's French Cup, the D1 Arkéma play-offs and the final of the men's French Cup, if the technological conditions are met insists the boss of French referees.

France, a candidate for this experiment, had suffered several refusals from FIFA before obtaining its green light last week. The French Football Federation must now find technical means and stadiums sufficiently equipped to meet FIFA's specifications.

Launching in spring

She would begin this experiment with partial sound reinforcement for referees in the spring, with a women's football match, as Jean-Michel Aulas, the vice-president of the FFF in charge of the sector, had expressed the wish when & ;#39;he met all the club leaders on February 6 in Paris.

The final of the Women's French Cup will take place on Saturday May 4 at the Mosson stadium in Montpellier. The D1 Arkéma play-offs will be held on May 12 for the semi-finals, May 18 and May 19 for the small final and the final.

The final of the men's French Cup, scheduled for May 25, which cannot take place at the Stade de France, which is being completely renovated before the Paris Olympics, has yet to find its home base.