Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Premier League to Broadcast Player-Referee Conversation Audio This Season
The Premier League is the top football league in England.
This season, they are going to let people watching on TV hear what football players and referees say to each other.
The audio will be recorded by a small camera that the referee wears on their head.
This is part of a system called 'RefCam' that is being made a regular feature of the league.
You will not hear everything live as it happens.
Instead, the broadcaster will play the audio from one or two big moments in each game.
That way, fans can understand why an important decision was made.
The audio will not include talks between the main referee and their assistants or the VAR officials.
This is a new way to bring fans closer to what happens on the pitch.
The Premier League will broadcast audio of conversations between players and referees starting this season.
The move expands the 'RefCam' system, which becomes a permanent feature in England's top flight.
Live audio will not be aired; instead, audio from one or two key incidents per game will be included.
Audio will be recorded through referees' head-mounted cameras, previously used for instant replays.
Conversations between the match referee, assistant referees, and VAR officials will not be broadcast.
- Who
- Premier League referees and football players
- What
- Audio of player-referee conversations added to broadcasts as part of the expansion of the 'RefCam' system
- When
- From this season, with RefCam becoming a permanent feature in the upcoming season
- Where
- The English Premier League
- Why
- To expand the RefCam system and give viewers audio of important incidents during matches
- League
- Premier League (England's top football division)
- Change
- Broadcast audio of player-referee conversations
- System
- RefCam (head-mounted referee cameras)
- Status
- Permanent feature from the upcoming season
- Live audio
- Not included in broadcasts
- Audio per game
- One or two important incidents
- Recording method
- Referees' head-mounted cameras
- Excluded conversations
- Match referee, assistant referees, and VAR officials