Sound system for football referees: a second experiment will take place on Sunday during the match between OL and Lorient in Ligue 1

A second experimentation of referee sound system will take place on Sunday, April 12 during the closing match of the 29th day of Ligue 1 between Olympique Lyonnais and FC Lorient at 8:45 pm, learned Radio France sports management from a close source on Thursday, April 9, confirming a report from L’Equipe. All referees have been trained on this system.

The sports management and the ICI network (formerly France Bleu) had revealed the experimentation of the first test of referee sound system that took place during the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse last Friday. It turned out to be unsuccessful, as the referee did not resort to the VAR, video assistance for refereeing, during the match. The system could not be tested.

The purpose of this sound system is to make referee decisions more readable and understandable for spectators and viewers, as explained by Antony Gautier, national technical director of arbitration during the first experiment. “It’s really in an educational approach. I have always believed that everyone accepts better what they understand,” defended Antony Gautier. “Since I have been director of arbitration, this is what motivates me in my desire for openness and understanding of arbitration for the general public. In any case, this is a new tool that will be made available to referees for this purpose.“