Euro 2024: Key refereeing changes explained as Roberto Rosetti reveals innovations at tournament

Andy Robertson will be the only Scotland player allowed to address the referee during Euro 2024

Responsibility should be shared between officials and captains to protect the image of the game at UEFA EURO 2024

Being a referee in the modern game is very difficult. The men in the middle take between 200 to 250 decisions per match – that is one every 22 seconds – in difficult and sometimes controversial situations, under huge pressure, with each of them scrutinised and re-watched from multiple different angles by fans and pundits alike.

We want strong-personality referees taking and assuming decisions- which can sometimes be unpopular – on the pitch but, at the same time, we want them to be more open and explain what led to certain decisions. They receive a lot of information from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and we are ready to speak and share more details with the players and coaches to help them understand how a decision was taken.

The subject of player and coach behaviour is an ever-important topic in football – coaches agreed to work towards fair play in April’s UEFA EURO 2024 finalists’ workshop, while it was one of the main topics at the recent UEFA Football Board meeting in Nyon. Both coaches and players strongly welcomed and supported our new approach as a shared objective for the well-being of the game.

Explaining a decision with up to 22 players mobbing you is impossible for a referee. It can lead to a breakdown in communication, with the beautiful game turning very ugly very quickly, which, everyone agrees, is bad for the image of football. Some decisions will, of course, always be debated. However, in a bid to improve the status quo we at UEFA want referees to explain more of their decisions to all teams competing at the upcoming UEFA EURO 2024 tournament.

How will we do this? The idea is simple: we ask that all teams ensure their captain is the only player who speaks to the referee. Weask the captains to ensure their teammates do not encroach upon and surround the referee, allowing direct conversations to take place in order that the decision be relayed in a timely and respectful manner.

Importantly, we want only the captain from the team who wishes to discuss a decision to be able to approach the referee. It is the responsibility of the captain to ensure his teammates respect the referee, keep their distance and do not surround him. Any teammate ignoring his captain’s role and/or who approaches the referee showing any sign of disrespect or dissent will be shown a yellow card. Evidently, if the captain is a goalkeeper, there will need to be an outfield player nominated who can fulfil this role should an incident occur at the opposite end of the pitch.

Officials will be encouraged to be open in their discussions with the captains to foster a healthy atmosphere between all parties. This will allow them to build significant amounts of trust with players and show the kind of leadership required from modern officials inaction. UEFA’s team of refereeing specialists and, where possible, a tournament referee will meet with each of the 24 squads to discuss this in further detail and share this information with players.

Embracing this approach and empowering referees will lead to an increase in the already very high quality of officiating in our competitions and better matches for players and fans to enjoy during the tournament. If we can facilitate constructive dialogue between referees and team captains everyone will benefit, and we will leave a positive legacy for the future of the beautiful game. The game we all love.

Roberto Rosetti is a former match official and UEFA’s Managing Director for Refereeing