Reason why World Cup referees are wearing a camera strapped to their head
For the first time in World Cup History, the officials making the biggest calls in soccer will be wearing cameras on their heads.
FIFA has confirmed that referee body cameras will be deployed across all 104 games of the 2026 World Cup in North America. Mounted onto the referee's headset, the small high-definition stabilised cameras are designed to capture match footage from the official's point of view, offering broadcasters, and fans, a new perspective.
How much of the ref cam will be broadcast?
The ref cam footage won't necessarily be beamed out live at all times, but it will be used both in live broadcast moments and women into replays throughout coverage of the tournament.
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA's Referees Committee, described the goal as offering viewers "a new experience, in terms of images taken from a perspective, from an angle of vision which was never offered before."
Advert
Beyond the broadcast novelty, FIFA has been explicit that the cameras serve a second, arguably more significant purpose: referee development.
As Collina explained: "Having the possibility to see what the referee sees is important iin the debriefing, to evaluate how the call was made by the referee, which was his view."
This offers a better chance for coaches and officials to work through exactly how they made their decisions, rather than relying on external camera angles that may not capture the same moment.
When was the ref cam first used in soccer?
The technology isn't entirely new to football. MLS was among the first professional leagues to trial referee cameras, debuting the concept at the 2013 All Star Game.
In England, Premier League referee Jarred Gillet became the first to wear one during a competitive top-flight match in 2024 in the game between Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
FIFA tested it further at the 2025 Club World Cup before committing to a full roll out at this summer's tournament.
New rules for the FIFA World Cup 2026
This year, there’s been a whole host of rule changes, many of which are designed to speed up the game and penalise players who drag things out. Some of the new regulations are likely to prove controversial.
10-second substitution
Subbed players now have to get a move on and leave the pitch within ten seconds by the nearest exit point. If they haven’t, their replacement will get held up by one minute until the next stoppage of play, and until then, their side will have to play with 10 men.
5-second throw-ins and goal kicks
If a referee thinks a player is taking too long for a throw-in or goal kick, they’ll start a five-second countdown, by which time the ball needs to be back in play. If it’s not, for throw-ins the opposing team will get their own throw-in, or for a goal kick the other side gets a corner.
Injured players to remain off the pitch for one minute
An injured player treated by medical staff off-field has to stay off the pitch for one minute, leaving their side with just 10 players.
More VAR
VAR can now be used to review an incorrectly awarded corner kick; second yellow cards resulting in a red card; when a player is incorrectly awarded a yellow or red card for another player’s actions; and any attacking fouls that occur before the ball is in play.
Players can’t cover their mouths
Players who cover their mouths in confrontational situations will be handed a red card. It’s believed players might cover their mouths to guard against lip readers while racially abusing other players, which some suspect has happened in the past.
Red cards for players leaving the pitch
Any player who leaves the pitch in protest over a referee’s decision will be handed a red card, and if a team walks off and causes a match to be abandoned, they’ll forfeit the game.
Thomas Bamford