FIFA Referee Chief Lauds Revolutionary Tech at 2025 Club World Cup
(MENAFN) Pierluigi Collina, the head of FIFA’s Referees Committee, has lauded the transformative role of new technologies showcased during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, highlighting advancements such as the referee body camera, semi-automatic offside alerts, and stricter time management regulations. According to Collina, these innovations significantly enhanced both the flow of the matches and the overall spectator experience.
In an interview with FIFA's official website, the renowned former Italian referee shared his enthusiasm for the newly tested referee cam, which exceeded expectations in terms of its impact. “The outcome of using the ref cam here at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 went beyond our expectations,” Collina explained. “We thought it would have been an interesting experience for TV viewers and we’ve received great comments.”
Collina emphasized that the referee cam was far more than just a novelty for viewers. The footage, he noted, provided audiences with a unique opportunity to experience the game through the referee’s eyes, a perspective that has proven invaluable for both training and performance evaluation. “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.”
The FIFA official also celebrated the introduction of the eight-second rule, which aims to curb time-wasting by goalkeepers. According to Collina, the measure was a resounding success, improving the tempo of the games. “It was very successful. The tempo of the match was improved,” he remarked. “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.”
Another standout technology praised by Collina was the semi-automatic offside system, which enabled quicker and more precise decisions from assistant referees. “The alert went to the assistant referees well before, when there was a clear offside position,” he noted. “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.”
As the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup heads toward its conclusion on Sunday with the highly anticipated final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, Collina’s comments underscore the growing influence of technology in shaping the future of football officiating.
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