At this month’s FIFA Club World Cup, referees will wear body cams offering fans a referee’s-eye view for the first time — but only for non-controversial moments. The cameras, attached to earpieces, will provide unique footage of goals, saves, and pre-match coin tosses, but not penalty decisions or disputed incidents.FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina emphasized this is an early trial, with possible expansion in the future: “Let’s walk before we run.”

The footage will be transmitted live via private 5G networks, but only in the six NFL stadiums hosting the tournament. VAR reviews seen by the referees will be shown on stadium big screens, followed by the referee announcing the decision publicly.

Other innovations include AI-powered semi-automatic offside technology using 16 cameras and audio alerts to assist referees. Also debuting: a new rule giving goalkeepers eight seconds to release the ball — up from six — or face a corner kick. Referees will show a five-second countdown using their fingers.