For the first time in the Premier League, referee Jarred Gillett will have a ‘RefCam’ camera at his disposal during tonight’s match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park. What is the reason for this?
The use of the technology is part of a one-off program to give fans a deeper understanding of decision-making in English football’s top competitions.
The footage captured by Gillett’s camera will not be broadcast live during the match, but will be made available to fans afterwards. The Premier League said: “This footage will not be broadcast live but fans will be able to view it later in the year as part of a program produced by Premier League Productions (PLP). It aims to offer further insight and education into the requirements for refereeing in the Premier League.”
The camera zooms in on the difficulty of decision-making
The “RefCam” technology, which is a head-mounted device integrated into the referee’s communication system, has previously been used in the Bundesliga. Referee Daniel Schlager had the camera on during the 2-2 draw between Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg in February.
The Premier League, IFAB, PGMOL and both Crystal Palace and Manchester United approved the use of “RefCam” for this match. The Premier League thanked both clubs for supporting the initiative.
The one-off event, dubbed ‘RefCam’, is part of a short program detailing the rigors of decision-making in the Premier League. “I think the camera will show a lot of things that people don’t realize,” former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports.
“There was an incident at Burnley on Saturday where Burnley wanted a penalty and I think if the referee had the camera on you would have seen what he saw and it’s completely different to what you see as a spectator,” supplies.
Tags: Crystal Palace Man Utd referee wearing camera time Premier League history
