Africa-Press – Eritrea. Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, praised the impact of new technologies used at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, saying innovations such as the referee body camera, semi-automatic offside alerts, and stricter time enforcement improved game flow and fan experience.
Speaking to FIFA’s official website, the former Italian referee said the newly tested referee cam offered more than just entertainment value.
“The outcome of using the ref cam here at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 went beyond our expectations,” Collina said. “We thought it would have been an interesting experience for TV viewers and we’ve received great comments.”
He noted that the footage gave audiences the chance to see the match from the referee’s perspective — a tool FIFA also used for referee training and performance analysis.
“This was not only for entertainment purposes,” he said. “It was also for coaching the referees — to explain why something was not seen on the field of play.”
Collina also welcomed the introduction of the new eight-second rule designed to reduce time-wasting by goalkeepers.
“It was very successful. The tempo of the match was improved,” he said. “We had no time lost by goalkeepers keeping the ball between their hands for a very long time — as happened quite often in matches before.”
He highlighted the successful use of semi-automatic offside technology, which helps alert assistant referees faster and more accurately.
“The alert went to the assistant referees well before, when there was a clear offside position,” he said. “So, it worked very well. We have the goals disallowed — correctly disallowed — and we also had correct decisions supported by the semi-automatic offside technology. We are very happy, very pleased.”
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup concludes Sunday with the final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
For More News And Analysis About Eritrea Follow Africa-Press
