Howard Webb: Premier League referees' chief explores officials explaining decisions to crowd inside stadium
30 April 2024, 16:49 | Updated: 1 May 2024, 12:08
The head of Premier League referees, Howard Webb, has said he is exploring the possibility that referees might be allowed to explain some of their decisions to the crowd inside a stadium for the first time - from next season.
World football's lawmakers, IFAB, have rules that forbid any discussions between match officials to be played live inside a stadium - even though the body responsible for appointing Premier League referees, Professional Game Match Officials Limited [PGMOL], is pushing for that to change in the future.
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But PGMOL think it may be permissible within the existing rules for referees to explain their decision to the crowd whenever they are called over to review an incident on the pitchside monitor.
That would be the only circumstance in which the referee would be allowed to speak directly to the crowd.
Webb addressed the issue in Match Officials Mic'd Up, which aired on Sky Sports Premier League on Tuesday.
Webb offers hope but 'it's complicated'
Sky Sports News chief reporter Rob Dorsett:
"It's complicated, because IFAB, the people who make the rules of the game, have never allowed live audio between match officials to be played to the crowd.
"The PGMOL would like that to happen. IFAB won't allow it.
"But Howard Webb says he thinks there is scope within the existing rules for referees when they're called over to the screen to review a decision to then explain - if they are changing that decision - why they are changing it to the crowd.
"So by next season, we might see, for the first time, the referee for the first time talk directly to the crowd to explain their decisions."
Webb: Forest would likely have had penalty if ref went to monitor
In the latest instalment of Match Officials Mic'd Up, PGMOL chief Webb also explained that Nottingham Forest would likely have been awarded one penalty in their controversial 2-0 defeat at Everton.
Forest had three separate penalty appeals dismissed by referee Anthony Taylor during the match with the on-field decisions endorsed by VAR Stuart Attwell.
However, speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb said Ashley Young's tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi should have seen referee Taylor sent to the pitchside monitor.
"We would have preferred an intervention on this situation for the referee to go to the screen to make a judgement for himself in this situation and probably would have come out with a different outcome if that would have happened."
Onana penalised for 'reckless' challenge
Webb also gave his take on Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana crashing into Burnley forward Zeki Amdouni without touching the ball in the penalty area. The VAR checked a possible penalty and sent the referee to the pitchside monitor.
"We acknowledged the situation in week one at Old Trafford that should have led to a VAR intervention. This is very similar with Onana coming out and making heavy contact with the opponent.
"The referee sees [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka head the ball away but doesn't see the contact on Amdouni. It's a clear error not to award the penalty kick and therefore the VAR recommends the referee to look at it.
"There's a recklessness to it. He wasn't cautioned and it would have been the right outcome to show a yellow card."
VAR intervenes to punish Rice
Declan Rice's kick at Ben Davies in the Arsenal penalty area was also addressed by Webb.
Referee Michael Oliver waved away Tottenham's appeals but VAR intervened and sent him to the pitchside monitor with a penalty then awarded.
"It was nice and efficient," said Webb. "It's a clear and obvious error not to give the penalty. I know Michael will be really disappointed. He had a really good game. He's one of our top referees and in the world - he's been selected for the Euros in Germany this summer with seven other England officials.
"He misread that in the moment. Thankfully, we've got VAR that can look at these situations very quickly. You hear Jarred Gillet - the VAR - check it and stop the game in a neutral zone when nothing else can happen.
"Michael went to the screen, looked at it quickly, saw the error and gave a penalty. Without VAR this would have stayed as a non-awarded penalty and would have been hugely controversial. A really good use of the VAR facility."
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