Another “weapon” against bowling, which referees receive during matches from players and agents, as well as from spectators, is being tested by the English Football Association. From February to the present, about 100 minor league referees have integrated into their uniforms, along with all other electronic communication systems, a small camera with which they record the moments when they are “attacked” after a decision.

According to the study, judges who have a camera feel more confident and safer than their other colleagues.

The reason the FA stepped up and carried out this particular ‘experiment’ was a BBC investigation in which hundreds of referees who refereeed lower category matches in England said they feared for their safety when blowing the whistle.

How body cameras work

The body cameras don’t record the entire match, but they do have a 30-second selfie. This means that if the referee is verbally or even physically attacked, he can press the record button on the camera and it will record for 30 seconds. The material is automatically transferred to the cloud storage and is subject to data protection rules.

The device is encrypted, which means that the reviewer cannot access the material, nor can anyone else if it is stolen.

Recorded footage may be used at disciplinary hearings to support what the referee writes on the score sheet, but it can only be players, coaches or officials. Conversely, footage from viewers cannot be used.

The result of the “experiment”

In its report, the FA stressed, among other things, that the body cameras ultimately worked as a “deterrent” and stressed that since the trials began in February, so far, none of the judges had to activate their camera.

“The first signs are positive. Referees feel more confident, protected and safer,” said Daniel Mieson, head of refereeing at the FA, in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, adding: “The referees told us that some players looked again, saw the body camera and joked like : “I better not argue with you judge, I saw a body camera.” This is a positive start, so in my opinion it looks like having devices is finally working the way we want it to, which is containment. Better to prevent wrongdoing and prevent the bad behavior of the participants than to correct it later.

The body camera test of referees is the first of its kind in the world and has been approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), football’s legislators. He has played in some leagues at Essex, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Worcester and all indications are that his period will be extended to the 2023-24 season. As for the cost, with around 28,000 referees in England, if it is eventually approved for use in all leagues, the FA will look for ways to fund it as they don’t want clubs to take on it.

What the BBC study found

1,000 referees took part in a BBC Radio 5 Live poll of bowling received by referees during matches. Of these, 293 said they were physically abused by spectators, players, coaches or managers. Some said they were punched, hit on the head, and spat, while almost all respondents were subjected to some form of verbal abuse.

Also, 57 of them answered that they had received death threats against themselves or their loved ones.