Lincolnshire is one of the counties to join the trial in referees wearing body worn cameras until the end of the season. The trial has been permitted by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) who have described this as a “positive step” towards reversing the decline in referee retention due to abuse.
It was first launched in 2023 in four counties but has since expanded, the ongoing trial is aimed to explore whether the body worn cameras will help improve participant and spectators’ behaviour and respect towards match officials.
Referee Development Manager at Lincolnshire FA, Declan Ford said: “We was very keen to get these cameras in when it first started a few years ago as a county, so it is nice to be involved.
“This trial will only last until the end of the season and then all the information will go back to the national FA.”
This trial for these cameras comes at a time where referee and match official abuse is at a rise nationally causing a shortage in officials and games being postponed due to the lack of referees.
There will be a selected number of grassroots referees who will wear the body worn cameras officiating adult grassroot fixtures only within the Lincolnshire League and the Grimsby Sunday League, they have also been confirmed to be used during the upcoming County Cup competitions.
Surveys show around 98% of grassroots referees have experienced verbal abuse and about one third have experienced physical abuse which then once the cameras started to be worn saw and immediate drop in violent incidents.
The selected referees have had specific training and guidance to ensure the cameras are used effectively and appropriately in line with the FA protocols, this footage if activated will also be used to support evidence in disciplinary hearings because when it is activated it will record up to 30 seconds prior showing clear evidence and protecting the referees against false accusations.
However, as well as this it is also the referees responsibility to ensure the camera is being used appropriately and if it is used incorrectly, they may receive a formal complaint as a warning or even could be removed from the trial.
Some key outcomes that were highlighted from the trial in previous counties was the high effectiveness the camera was as a deterrent, it was reported that when the cameras were worn it made players and coaches rethink their behaviour with a noticeable decrease in abuse towards match officials.
Oliver Sargent a Lincolnshire based referee who has been selected to take part in the trial said: “I feel more confident and safer wearing it especially when I am on my own, I believe the body camera discourages teams to maybe do something they would normally do if the camera wasn’t there.
“The body camera would have helped in the past for definite and I would want it to stay.”
Another positive outcome was the low activation rates; in the early phases of the trial there were few to no instances where the referees needed to activate the cameras showing the impact they were having on the players, in an expanded part of the trial covering over 4,000 matches the cameras were activated only six times.
When discussing the activation process Sargent admitted “I have used the camera in recent games and activated it when there was a sending off which helped deescalate the situation and helps as a referee having the physical evidence instead of just our word”.
As well as this the body worn camera trial Lincolnshire FA have stated they are continuing to implement a range of different measures aimed at improving behaviour this includes stronger sanctions for those who are continuous offenders and captain only communication to help prevent things escalating on the pitch.
“It could potentially be expanded into the youth league in the future but that would be more aimed for spectators rather than player, but for now it is definitely being trialled in the correct leagues” Oliver commented.
Referees have mentioned wearing the camera as a match official helps with confidence in decision making and reduces the fear of a confrontation which is encouraging more people to become referees which is extremely important as one of the main reasons many officials quit the sport is due to abuse.
Due to the encouraging results the FA is continuing to monitor the impact and help shape the future of referee protection.
