Wed, August 19, 2026
Premier League to allow the broadcast of on-field conversations between players and referees and the publication of full judgements made by its panel and of explanations direct from officials
As part of a trial for the first time this season, the Premier League will allow the broadcast of on-field conversations between players and referees. It will also publish the full judgements made by its Key Match Incidents panel (KMI), as well as explanations provided direct from the officials themselves.
The league’s domestic TV rights holders, Sky Sports and TNT Sports, will be able to share the audio as part of the Ref Cam system which permits a referee’s head-mounted camera to capture both video and audio and provides viewers with greater insight into decisions made. Last season, near-instant replays of match incidents captured by the Ref Cams were broadcasted, but audio had to be televised days after the match due to an agreement with the clubs.
However, as part of a new trial, audio from one or two incidents from each of the league’s 38 match rounds will be broadcasted. The audio will not be broadcasted live at the exact moment it is said but will still be broadcasted very shortly after as a near-live instant replay. Audio from incidents that are sent to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is not included in this, as part of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules, but the league is said to be trying to persuade IFAB to relax its rules.
Ref Cam will be used during roughly 45 televised Premier League matches this season, compared with 20 last season, but will not be used during the league’s opening weekend.
Furthermore, as part of further efforts to increase transparency, the full judgements made by the Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel, which analyses referee and VAR decisions across major incidents and reviews goals, penalties, red cards and more, will be shared with the public for the first time this season. Previously, feedback was provided to clubs and officials only.
Selected direct quotes from the referee and/or the VAR will now also be published, not just a general summary.
The Premier League’s statement can be found here.
